Plant your hope with good seeds
by rubberglue
Summary: The kingdoms of Albion are threatened by war and Acirith seeks out the strongest kingdom, Camelot for aid. Unfortunately, aid doesn't come free and both Guinevere, the princess of Acirith and Arthur, the crown prince of Camelot pay the price.
1. Prologue

Trumpets blared into the air as the excited crowd cheered and tossed the confetti they were handed into the air. Even the weather was cooperating. The sun hung high in the sky, the light wind causing the brightly coloured flags decorating the castle to flutter gaily. The atmosphere in Camelot hummed with barely tempered excitement.

Special guests from the neighbouring kingdoms streamed out of the Grand Hall, decked in their most lavish wear, marking the end of the ceremony. The crowd in the courtyard pushed and shoved. Children sat on the shoulders of their parents as necks craned to see inside the castle. In moments, the newly wed Crown Prince of Camelot and Princess of Acirith would emerge to greet their people.

Amid loud cheers, the doors to the castle eased open. Flanked by the Camelot knights, the Prince and Princess stepped out. The Princess was decked in the most gorgeous red dress, clearly hand stitched by the finest seamstresses in Camelot, and dripped with jewellery from the crown treasury. The Prince looked handsome in his formal wear, his ceremonial sword swinging from his hip. He raised a hand to wave while she bowed her head. The crowd surged forward, pushing and shoving to get a better glimpse of the royal couple.

For many, in the wake of a devastating war, this marked a new beginning. It was a time for celebration, for joy and a time for them to forget, if only for a moment, about the houses that needed rebuilding and the lives lost. And so it was probably not surprising that, engrossed in the superficiality of the ceremony, none of them noticed the strain on the young couple's faces and the tension that shimmered between them.


	2. Difficult Decisions

All Arthur could hear was his own breathing and the crackle of the campfire. The fire battled against the chill of the evening but couldn't warm the one in Arthur's heart. His hands played with a slip of lavender cloth and he gazed into the darkness. It had been a whole week of hard fighting and sacrifice that brought them to this border. In two days, he would be leading both Acirith's and Camelot's armies into Escetia, hopefully to force a ceasefire. As tempting as it might be to overrun Cenred's lands, Arthur was not keen on dragging out this war nor did he want to gain a reputation as warmonger. What he really wanted was to go home.

"Sire." Lancelot, leader of the Knights of Acirith, stepped into the light. Startled from his thoughts, Arthur quickly tucked the lavender cloth into his belt before turning around.

"Lancelot. Why are you still up?"

"I could ask the same of you Sire." Lancelot bowed his head. "I don't mean to pry but is something bothering you?"

"Probably," muttered Merlin from the ground, "since he's been pacing for the past hour. I haven't been able to get a wink of sleep."

Arthur ignored Merlin's baseless complaints, something he'd had lots of practice with. His instinct was to brush Lancelot off so he could go back to this thoughts. But Lancelot was essentially Arthur's second in command in this situation and keeping him in the dark would help no one. Taking a step towards Lancelot, Arthur dropped his voice. No point alarming the rest of the men. "It's been too easy. Cenred's men barely put up a fight. In two days, we'll be marching into Escatia and even as we move closer, there hasn't been more than token opposition from his army. We've been keeping track of his army ever since he refused the peace treaty with us years ago and we know he has an army with a much larger strength."

This piqued Merlin's interest and he struggled to sit up, wrapping his thin blanket around him. "So why hasn't he deployed them? It can't be because he underestimates you. It was just 3 years ago that your father and you almost annihilated his army."

"I know that," huffed Arthur, frowning at Merlin. "This is why I am feeling uneasy. He has something planned and I don't know what it is. And I hate going into anything blind. Let's hope it's not magic."

Merlin harrumphed. "After Cenred upset the Druids, I doubt he would find anyone of magic who would align themselves with him."

"You never know with those magic people. They have no loyalty, no morals," retorted Arthur.

"Because they are all evil I'm sure. I'm going somewhere else to get some sleep. Somewhere you can't disturb me with your snoring." With those words, Arthur watched slightly confused as Merlin stalked angrily off, his blanket tightly stretched across his shoulders.

"What do you think Cenred is up to? Perhaps there is a trap in Escetia." Lancelot asked after Merlin disappeared into the darkness. He tossed a few pieces of wood into the fire.

"I don't know. Whatever it is, we need to be prepared. It's obvious he's quite confident of his plan if he's letting us win so easily."

"As long as we are careful, we will be fine. Everyone has faith in you. You've certainly proven yourself to the Acirith Knights. In fact, I think some of them are thinking of defecting to Camelot." In the flickering fire, Arthur saw a wry smile cross Lancelot's face.

"I won't have them. I have no use for knights with no sense of loyalty."

Chuckling, Lancelot accepted the criticism with good grace and stretched. "If you don't mind Sire, I'm going to retire for the night. I suggest you get some rest as well."

Arthur grunted in response and continued to stare into the fire. He wondered if Lancelot would be so amiable if he knew that Camelot and Acirith was about to be joined by a marriage of convenience. The smaller kingdoms in Albion were already wary of Camelot's strength and size. Learning you're your kingdom was about to be part of Camelot – a mere city instead of a kingdom – was never joyous news. Sighing, Arthur eased the lavender cloth from his belt and fingered it gently. He could almost smell her.

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><p>Guinevere couldn't sleep and so, to keep her mind off what was happening with Arthur and Lancelot on the battlefields, she had spent most of the early morning scrutinising the stock records, wondering how she could make their supplies last longer. With the attacks and the poor weather, grain harvest had been poor. When one of the guards interrupted her, her first reaction was that of confusion. Then dread pooled in her stomach as a cold hand wrapped around her heart. Had Arthur failed? Was Cenred's army marching towards her castle now? Had everything been for naught?<p>

Haltingly, the guard requested her presence in the throne room. Once the guard left, Guinevere pulled on her cloak, neatened her hair – no one wanted to see how frazzled she was – then, gathering her courage, she stepped out of her room. Even with her loyal guards flanking her, Guinevere felt all alone and missing her father's calm and wisdom so much it hurt.

The council was already in the room, forming a threatening semi-circle around her throne. A lanky young man stood in front of her throne, dressed in traditional Escetian green. He had been disarmed by her guards. Lifting her chin, Guinevere walked into the room, schooling her face into her usual cool expression.

"My lady," he said as he bowed, his tone respectful on the surface. Her unease doubled and she settled uncomfortably on the throne. She looked at him, studied his face but it betrayed nothing.

"Speak."

"I am Sir Hector from Escetia and I have a message from my Lord." He paused waiting for her to respond. Nodding her head, she gestured for him to continue, curious. Was Cenred so cowed by the entry of Camelot into the war that he was offering a peace treaty? If so, why was he not speaking directly to Arthur and Lancelot?

"My lady, Lord Cenred sends a message. Any war will result in suffering on both our parts and he has no quarrel with you."

Guinevere raised her eyebrow at those words. After all the grief Cenred had caused, the statement was a blatant lie.

As if reading her mind, Sir Hector amended his words. "Nothing against you personally. It is unfortunate that you lie between him and Camelot. He is suggesting that instead of fighting each other that perhaps we could come to a mutually beneficial arrangement."

"What are you thinking of?" She could hear the council members whispering behind her, excited at the possibility of preventing a war.

"We propose a ceasefire. Lord Cenred would agree to not invading your lands for the next five years if you allow our army to launch an attack against Camelot from Gallaga."

She shook her head at Cenred's audacity. "Attack Camelot? You do realise that Camelot is our ally. If you are here to waste my time, I will not hesitate to have you thrown into the dungeons." At the nod of her head, two guards grabbed Sir Hector.

Sir Hector barely struggled, a sly smile briefly flashed across his face. "We have heard that in return for their help this time, you have agreed to marry the young prince Arthur. With your marriage, your lands will belong to Camelot once your father passes, under King Uther's rule. You will be losing control of your land and your people. Is that what you really want?"

Guinevere cringed at the truth in his words. She had wanted to wait for Lancelot to return victorious from the war before breaking the news of her agreement with Camelot. Now, the whole council knew and from the burst of noise behind her, it was obvious they were not happy. But then again, from the moment she was born the wrong sex, nothing she had ever done made them happy.

"All you want in return for a ceasefire and a promise to leave my kingdom alone is permission to attack Camelot from Gallaga?" The whispering behind her grew more excited. With another nod of her head, the guards let go of Sir Hector.

"Yes. You can keep control of your land and people and you don't have to marry the prince. What is there to lose?"

"What happens if you lose in your war against Camelot? Do you not think they will look unkindly on my betrayal?"

Sir Hector laughed, sending a shiver through her. "There is no need to fear that. I assure you that we are very confident of victory. Unfortunately, I cannot reveal why unless you sign the treaty with us but rest assured, Camelot will not stand a chance."

She knew she should decline the offer immediately. There was only one answer to Cenred's ridiculous offer. But she hesitated, and instead of saying no and telling the knight to leave and never darken her castle entrance again, she found herself telling him to give her one night to think it over.

The expression on his face never changed as he passed her Lord Cenred's proposal. His fingers brushed hers and she shivered. Sir Hector took a step back, bowed and left the room.

With trembling hands, she looked at the papers as the rest of the council descended on her, telling her what they thought she should do. The pressure on her to accept Cenred's offer was overwhelming and a part of her was tempted to accede. She had no loyalty to Camelot, they certainly had no loyalty to her, and this would release her from the shackles that were placed upon her the moment she signed that marriage treaty with King Uther.

"This is a great chance for you to correct your error of judgement," Lord Felixstowe boomed into her ear, looming over her. "I can't believe you sold us out to Camelot. I always knew you were not suitable to rule."

Lord Damian hissed angrily, "A decision of this magnitude and you didn't bother to consult us?"

"You cannot actually think we would approve of being subsumed under the Camelot banner! What? You couldn't resist his good looks?" Sir Richard scoffed menacingly.

Guinevere stared at the group of men grumbling at her, accusing her of being naive and a fool, asserting that she was unable to rule and demanding that she take up Cenred's proposal.

"Let me consider this in peace." Unfolding herself from her throne, she swept out of the room, ignoring the council. Her confidence disappeared as soon as she shut herself back in her chambers, the proposal in her hands, and collapsed into her chair.

She looked over the proposal - a proposal that could give her back her kingdom and her freedom.

* * *

><p>AN: I hope that the teaser and this chapter was, well, teasing. Ha. Thank you for your interest and your lovely comments.<p> 


	3. First Meetings

The only thing special about today was that it was Lady Isabella's birthday. Or so Arthur thought.

Her birthday feast was in full swing in the great hall. Guests from the various noble houses in Camelot were in attendance and all attention was focused on Isabella, just the way she liked it. Isabella had one hand on his thigh, the other wrapped around a goblet as she laughed happily at the antics of the court jester. They were the exact same tricks he did every feast but if it pleased Isabella who was he to complain? Leaning back into his chair, he studied her. Her long, dark hair was tied up into one of those fancy hairstyles that took several handmaids to accomplish. The deep blue dress she wore flattered her figure and he couldn't help notice the swell of her breasts. A little shiver of desire ran through him. Perhaps tonight he would get to spend some time alone with her.

Some months ago, his father had, not very subtly, hinted that it was time he got married and he ﬁgured that Lady Isabella was the best choice. Not only had they known each other since young, and got along pretty well, her linage was impeccable, his father approved and she had accepted his advances willingly. More importantly, she demanded little from him, content to receive little trinkets from him that his manservant, Merlin had become quite adept at procuring. It was an easy relationship and he was happy to keep things the way they were.

Bored with the display by the jester, Arthur turned to Sir Leon and struck up a conversation. In the middle of explaining why he was a much better swordsman than Sir Gwaine, the doors to the dining room swung open and a female voice demanded to see his father. Instinctively, he jumped up, his hand going for his sword, eyes focused on the doors in front of him.

In stumbled two people followed closely by the guards. An elderly man, exhaustion written all over his face and stance, was being supported by a much younger and smaller man, whose face was hidden under a hood.

"King Thomas!" Hastily, his father left his seat and walked towards them, signalling the guards to leave.

Arthur sheathed his sword and watched curiously as his father spoke quietly to King Thomas. He might not have met King Thomas personally, but Arthur had gone through enough history lectures from Geoffrey to know that he ruled over Acirith, a small kingdom just next to Camelot. Arthur continued to watch his father and the two visitors closely. Although he couldn't see the younger man's face under the hood, the shadows under King Thomas's eyes and the tension in his face spoke of a grave situation brewing. Something bad must have happened in Acirith for the King to come personally.

He felt Isabella tug at his arm and she looked at him with questions in her eyes. Shaking his head in response, he continued to watch his father and the two visitors.

"What do you think is happening?" Just as those words left her mouth, the group suddenly disbanded and his father approached them.

"Arthur, Lady Isabella, I am afraid that there are urgent matters that the council has to deliberate on. I trust you will look after her well Arthur," his father said apologetically as the rest of the council led the gate crashing pair out of the room.

"Of course," Isabella said, polite and understanding as ever.

"If these are important matters, then surely I should be there too." He could sense Isabella's disapproval of his remark when her nails dug into his wrist. She never liked it when he went against his father. But this was ridiculous. He was part of Camelot's council and should be part of whatever urgent matters they were discussing with the two visitors.

And yet, Arthur wasn't surprised when his father shook his head. "No, no. Stay here and enjoy the feast."

With a curt nod, his father left the room behind his council. The mix of disappointment and anger curling in his stomach was nothing new, but there were people watching and so, he shoved it aside as he always did before turning back to Isabella with a smile.

* * *

><p>It had been three days of pretending that she was confident that Camelot would help them. Three days of encouraging her father not to give up. Three days of riding through the forests, dodging bandits and wild animals and sleeping as little as possible so they could reach Camelot quicker.<p>

Now, standing in front of King Uther, she wondered why she even bothered.

Perhaps it wasn't the most sensible plan to crash some noble's birthday party but while Camelot was celebrating, her kingdom was on the verge of a war. When she'd stepped into the great hall and saw the food and festivities, bitterness chewed at her. She thought King Uther would understand once she explained the situation, but he'd barely acted like he heard her words, then hustled her and her father out of the great hall.

And now, in the council room, as she expected, everyone was ignoring her, focusing instead on her father. She knew what was going on in their heads - she was female and thus unworthy of their consideration. Never mind that she had essentially ruled Acirith ever since her father had fallen sick. Even then she had to do it behind the scenes, allowing it to seem that her father was still in control. She sucked in a breath to try and calm herself. Losing her temper would do no good.

"Where is Prince Elyan?" King Uther demanded.

"He's not around," Guinevere said coldly.

At her voice, the council stared at her in silence, as if only just realising she was there.

King Uther narrowed his eyes and approached her. "You must be the young princess," he murmured as he lifted her chin with a ﬁnger. It took all her resolve not to ﬂinch away from him.

Staring as confidently as she could into King Uther's eyes, she said calmly, "We are here to ask that you honour your treaty with us. Cenred have entered our lands and we need your help."

"Thomas, you know you are a valuable ally to Camelot and we would love to help you but we cannot afford to get into a war with Cenred at the moment." To her annoyance, King Uther turned from her to address her father.

Anger and fear bubbled in her and without thinking, Guinevere stepped forward again. "You have the resources for a huge celebration but you can't honour your treaty? You would be foolish to not help us!"

"Guinevere!" She could hear the shock and the censure in her father's voice. This, he found the energy for.

Ignoring her father's obvious displeasure, she continued. "If Cenred overruns our lands, his kingdom will be at your borders. For years, Acirith has stood between your kingdom and Cenred's. We dealt with his constant incursions into our lands with the understanding that Camelot was our ally. Now that his army has managed to take over some of our lands and is marching closer to our castle, your response is that you cannot help us? Do our treaties mean nothing now? If Acirith falls, Cenred will move on to what he has always wanted - Camelot."

"Do not speak to me like that. You are but a princess. Do you think I don't know what Cenred wants?" A ﬂush spread across King Uther's face and she knew she had managed to make things worse. Her heart sinking, she cursed at her runaway mouth and prepared herself to beg and grovel. What was her dignity if her kingdom fell?

Her thoughts were interrupted as the doors to the council chambers were ﬂung open loudly and the person who was likely to be Prince Arthur stumbled in, his skinny manservant hot on his heels.

Moving away from her, King Uther turned to his son, a frown on his face. The prince straightened up and addressed his father formally, and Guinevere listened impatiently as he explained that he felt that he needed to be involved in the discussion. It was apparent that the prince was not wanted and when she saw his face fall, she couldn't help but be thankful her father had never discouraged her involvement in the ruling of Acirith.

While she felt sorry for the reception the prince received, she was also grateful that his entrance interrupted the tension building between her and the king. She felt the prince's eyes on her and she looked up at him, smiling slightly. He frowned in response and looked away.

"Do not presume to tell me what to do especially when you are here begging my favour," snapped King Uther whose attentions had returned to her. As menacing as the King looked, she made sure she held his stare. It had been a hard lesson, but she had learnt early in life that she couldn't afford to show any sign of weakness, definitely not to anyone she didn't trust.

"Father," the prince protested.

King Uther took a deep breath and stepped back. "It has been a long journey for the two of you. Perhaps discussions will be more fruitful tomorrow. Arthur, bring them to the guest rooms and see to it that they are settled in."

Guinevere was about to protest – to wait one day was one more day her kingdom was at risk – but by her side, her father groaned quietly. A quick glance at her father told her that he really needed to rest. She swallowed her protest.

"Can't someone else do it?"

"Do as you are told." His father's tone was cold and unyielding. Reluctance and annoyance in his eyes, Arthur nodded curtly as he led them out of the chambers.

Allowing her father to lean on her, Guinevere followed behind the sulking prince and his manservant. She had never met anyone as childish as he was, even if King Uther was being unreasonable. Being his manservant must be an awful job.

"So, you two are from Acirith then?" chirped the manservant, turning back to grin at her, "I've been there. You've lovely livestock there."

"Merlin!" The prince snapped, obviously taking offense at his servant speaking out of turn. It was the first word out of his mouth since they left the council chambers.

"It's ﬁne, sire," she muttered, grimacing at his tone. Clearly he was another of those who thought people beneath him should be seen and not heard. Ten minutes in and she found little to like.

"It's a lovely place. I miss it already. We had everything we needed there and for many years, no one had to go hungry. Only now, with Cenred -" Blinking back the tears that had suddenly developed, she told herself not to cry, especially not in front of the prince.

Merlin cast a sympathetic look her way, and her affections for him expanded. It was nice to feel like there was someone on her side, even if that person was just a servant. Swiping the tears from her eyes, she attempted a smile.

They came to a halt in front of a door and the prince wrenched open the door and walked in.

"I trust this is suitable," the sullen prince muttered as he gestured limply to the room, "There is an adjoining room through that door. Mary here will be at your service."

"We are grateful for your hospitality," she heard her father croak out as the prince stalked rudely out of the room without a word. She rolled her eyes at his petulance.

"If there's anything you need, let me know. You should rest. It must have been quite the journey from Acirith," a smile crinkled his eyes and Gwen found herself smiling back at him. It was the ﬁrst time she had smiled unforced since she and her father left Acirith.

"Thank you. I'm Guinevere. Don't," Raising a hand, she stopped Merlin from bowing, "there's no need. You've been very kind. If you could help me get my father to bed, I would be most grateful."

With Merlin's help, she managed to get her worn-out father into bed. He slipped easily into slumber, leaving her and Merlin alone.

"Is there anything else?" Merlin hovered in the doorway. "Are you hungry?"

"No, thank you. I'm fine. You've been very helpful already." She tried to smile but the concern that flickered in Merlin's eyes told her she wasn't very successful.

"Don't worry. I am sure Camelot will help your kingdom. If not, perhaps Arthur will be convinced to lend a hand."

She couldn't help but let a disbelieving laugh out. "Not without a price, Merlin. The question is whether we can afford it. And I doubt your prince cares for anything except for himself. Why would he help us for nothing?"

Merlin shrugged and shufﬂed out of the room. Left all alone, Guinevere checked on her father once more. His breathing was wheezy but he seemed comfortable enough. Unwilling to leave him alone, she pulled the blanket from her bed, wrapped it around herself and settled into a chair next to her father's bed. Despite all her worries and fear, exhaustion took over and soon, Guinevere was fast asleep, curled up in an uncomfortable position in the chair.

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><p>AN: Thank you all for the comments! Also, expect the next update, next weekend! :)<p> 


	4. A Proposal

For a brief moment after he opened his eyes, Arthur was still in a good mood, dreams of a particularly successful hunt still fresh in his mind. Smiling, he looked around his chambers, expecting to see Merlin pottering around and accomplishing nothing. Then, his smile faded when the events of the last night replaced the dream in his mind.

Last night was a disaster. But the worse was how it wasn't the first time, nor would it be the last. Not only did his father again treat him as if he was a little boy, Isabella was now ofﬁcially angry with him. The curt note she had sent to him through Merlin late last night spelled it out quite clearly. The last time she was this upset was when he forgot a dinner appointment with her and went out hunting with the knights. It took a specially made brooch to regain her favour. It was worth every gold coin he spent on it since the hunt with the knights was really a lot more enjoyable than dinner with Isabella. He wondered idly if she would accept a new silk dress. Merlin would know where to get one.

"Merlin!" Struggling to sit up, he cast his eye across the room which, he only now noticed, was oddly empty. Usually, Merlin would be up, much too perky for his liking, and doing whatever he does every morning. He wasn't quite sure what exactly that was since not only was Merlin incredibly shifty early in the morning, he also managed to not actually get breakfast or his morning bath ready on time. Yet he still hurried around the room seemingly incredibly busy. It was ridiculous really.

He wasn't going to bother about Merlin today though. Today was an important day. Today he had to smooth over things with Isabella and also get involved in the discussions about the problem in Acirith. Some weeks ago, after another late night talk with Merlin, Arthur had decided that he was no longer going to let his father keep him from council matters. It might be years before he was king but it wouldn't do him any good to continue to allow his father to treat him like a child. At least, last night, after he showed the princess to her room, something a maid really should have been asked to do, he had returned to the council room and his father had finally explained to him the situation.

"Merlin!" Rolling his eyes and heaving a sigh of exasperation, Arthur left the comfort of his bed. It looked like his servant was missing. Again. Life would be so much easier if he had another servant but really, who would want Merlin as a servant? The poor boy would be out of a job and Arthur couldn't live with that. Merlin was skinny enough when he had food to eat. Without his job, he'd probably just waste away into nothingness.

He was pulling his shirt on when Merlin ﬁnally burst into his room, panting and frazzled as usual.

"Where were you this morning? How many times have you been late already? I should really fire you!"

Bent over, hands on his thighs, Merlin huffed. "Lady Guinevere's father is very ill. I was helping Gaius."

"Have you heard anything about the situation in Acirith?" Arthur moved to grab a shirt from his closet since it looked like Merlin wasn't about to be of any use.

"Not really, although your father has asked to speak with her just now. I'm here to bring you to the meeting. I am assuming he has come to a decision." Merlin, finally, helpfully dragged his jacket over his shoulders as he spoke. "What do you think he would decide?"

"He'll probably send in some men. Well, that's what I would do. Cenred is obviously eyeing our lands and it's better we fight on Acirith's lands than ours."

"That's great. The princess would be relieved."

Arthur rolled his eyes. Making the princess happy wasn't top of his priorities. "Unfortunately for her, my father will expect something in return. I know he's been eyeing some of their land for a while, especially the piece next to the Tyni River. It's good for farming and there's metal there I believe."

"Will King Thomas give that up? It sounds like valuable land." Merlin said as he followed Arthur towards the council chambers.

"How would I know? Perhaps if he is desperate enough. We'll soon ﬁnd out, wouldn't we?" Arthur retorted as he pushed open the heavy doors.

The princess was already there, seated at the table with his father, his father's ward, Morgana and the rest of the council. With a nod to the council, Arthur eased himself into the empty seat next to his father, taking the opportunity to study the princess. Last night she had looked tired but determined, brimming with barely suppressed fire, her bravery shining through as she faced up to her father. Today, there was a fragility in her eyes although she sat stifﬂy, her face not betraying anything. His father, on the other hand, was looking relaxed, almost pleased with himself and Arthur dreaded what that meant.

The moment he sat down, he saw his father indicate that the princess could speak with a sharp nod of his head.

"I would like to apologise for my rudeness yesterday," the princess said, her head bowed, her voice soft. He almost believed she was really sorry. "I hope that you have thought about our request and have a positive answer for us."

His father chuckled and Arthur knew at that moment nothing good was going to come out of this. "It is forgotten. In fact, I have a proposition for you and your father." He paused and the wariness Arthur was feeling grew. "Camelot will send an army to defend your kingdom. In return, you will enter into a marriage with my son."

Arthur dropped the goblet he was holding. Morgana made a sound midway between a choke and a laugh. Merlin gasped.

The princess said nothing at all.

The princess was the first to find her voice. "I was not expecting this." Her voice was calm and only the slight tension in her jaw gave away her distress.

His father smiled coolly at her. "It's a very good proposal, Princess Guinevere. Your father is deathly ill and your brother has run off, again, I might add. Even if Acirith successfully repelled Cenred's attack this time, don't you realise that your kingdom has a leadership problem? And believe me, Cenred will attack again."

Arthur stared at his father. So this was how his father planned to get hold of Acirith's land, by marrying him to Acirith's princess. And his beloved father didn't even bother to inform him beforehand. Angry and shocked, he snapped, "This is ridiculous. I am not doing this!"

No one paid him any heed.

"I don't see this leadership problem. I am still around and I will lead my kingdom if I have to." The princess's voice was still oddly calm and her gaze steady, giving nothing away. Her composure impressed him, especially when he felt like standing up and yelling at his father.

His father continued to speak in a smug voice. "Your father is ill. Once he goes and with your brother refusing his birthright, do you really think you can keep your lands united? Your own council will not accept you. People will be coming out of the woodwork to overthrow you. How long do you think you will last on the throne? As Arthur's wife, you will still have some control over your lands and the protection of Camelot."

"Oh, so Guinevere can't rule because she's female? Is that what you are saying?" Of course Morgana had to open her mouth and make everything about her again. For some reason, she had been increasingly argumentative the past few months, butting heads with his father at every opportunity. Arthur had tried to intervene but his attempts were mostly rebuffed.

Unsurprisingly, his father simply ignored Morgana and ploughed on. "Your people will be safe from conﬂict. Think of it as gaining land instead of losing your lands. One day you'll be Queen of the whole of Camelot."

"Father!" he protested.

"You are being completely unfair!" Finally, the princess's composure shook a little.

It only elicited a smirk from his father. "Think about it princess. It's your only hope if you wish to save your lands. You have till this evening to decide. I think we are done here."

With those words, his father rose and strode out of the room, dutifully followed by the council.

The princess stared at his father's empty chair, Morgana went on about the unfairness of the world and men andArthur was a mess of emotions, none of them positive.

"You shouldn't let Uther bully you around like that. I really wouldn't recommend marrying Arthur." Morgana's mocking tone softened a little when she caught Guinevere's eye. "You should think hard about this. Marriage is a big decision and is your land really worth your freedom? Uther makes and breaks promises without blinking an eye."

What was Morgana trying to do? Couldn't she see that the princess had no choice if she wanted to save her kingdom? The question was what choice did Arthur have?

Standing up suddenly, the princess announced that she had to see her father and left the room.

"Well, that was interesting. Looks like you're going to be a married man soon. Congratulations." Morgana smiled insincerely at him.

* * *

><p>Guinevere settled down beside her father who was looking no better. Slowly, she let the events of the morning tumble out of her mouth, her hand gripping the cold ones of her father. He showed no reaction to her words and her heart fell. Why had she encouraged her father to make the long trip here? She could have just come alone. But she knew, without her father, no one would have taken her seriously. As much as she hated it, King Uther was right. No one would accept her on the throne. Things were bad enough now, with her father ill and the various nobles and knights jostling for power.<p>

In the middle of her brooding, the door opened and she turned around to see an awkward looking Merlin standing in the doorway.

"My lady," he gave a clumsy bow.

"Merlin! Do you have news?" Quickly, she stood and swiped her hand across her face, trying to get rid of any evidence of her despair.

"No. I just thought you might want to talk to someone, seeing that your father is somewhat indisposed," he trailed off uncertainly, "but if this is a bad idea, I'll just go."

"Doesn't Arthur need you?"

"Not really. He's old enough to look after himself. His father is with him anyway," Merlin smiled a little. "You're better company too."

He wasn't like any servant she knew and gratefully, she smiled back at him. "You know, I could do with a friend right now."

By the time Merlin left her room half an hour later, Guinevere knew what she had to do. She sent a

That evening, she took dinner with the prince. When she entered the dining hall, heart pounding, Prince Arthur was already waiting, all decked out in his ceremonial garb. Although she was not one to overly fuss over her appearance, at that moment Gwen wished that she had taken up Morgana's offer of a dress. Instead, she was clothed in her only clean dress, an old, plain cotton one.

"Princess," Arthur stood as she entered the dining hall. The unhappiness on his face was clear but still he went through the motions, pulling out the chair for her and waiting for her to be seated before returning to his. She supposed at least he was well-versed in court etiquette.

The first course was served, not by Merlin which was odd, and they ate in awkward silence. Now and then, she darted looks at the prince. It was common knowledge that the prince was an attractive man and Guinevere found nothing to dispute that. But Guinevere had known many handsome men who had been less than attractive on the inside and she suspected the prince was the same. All noble men were.

"Sire. This is very nice." She gestured to the room, trying to break the silence. King Uther, upon receiving her decision, had arranged this to allow them time to get to know each other and while she was willing to make the effort, it looked as if the prince was not. "The dining hall we have back home is nowhere as gorgeous as this."

"That's because we're a bigger kingdom," he muttered, staring at the goblet in his hand. "Yours, I heard, is less than half the size of Camelot."

"Yes," she gritted out. She was only trying to make conversation and here he was, being rude. Was he trying to tell her something by pointing out the size of his kingdom? It wasn't as if she was unaware that she was in the disadvantaged position already.

"Why did you agree to this?" His question interrupted her thoughts.

She laughed bitterly at his question. "Your father didn't exactly give me much choice. Cenred's army is steadily marching through our lands. I cannot let my people down. Had I not agreed to this, I would have sealed my kingdom's demise. But even with this marriage, you should know that I want to retain control over my lands. I am not handing over power to Camelot."

When he simply shrugged and continued to play with his goblet, she felt her resentment towards him building. Like his father, he obviously felt she wasn't worth listening to. It was foolish to even hope that he might want to make this work and even more foolish to think he would allow her to maintain control over Acirith. Despite all the good things Merlin had told her about Arthur earlier, he definitely was like all the other noble men she had met, including her brother, self-involved and entitled.

"Why did you agree then?"

"I had no choice either. He's the King and I am his subject, son or not. Believe me, if I could have avoided this, I would." His tone dismissive, he responded without looking at her at all. He'd managed to avoid eye contact with her all through the dinner so far.

Irritation prickled her skin and she said waspishly, "Of course. I'm not as beautiful as your girlfriend am I? Have you told her about our happy news?"

Finally he looked at her, annoyance ﬂashing in his eyes. "Don't bring Isabella into this. Let's make this clear. This is a marriage of convenience so I hope you're not expecting anything more."

"Are you telling me that we're just going to be married in name and you are going to continue your relations with Lady Isabella?"

"I don't see why not. It's not unheard of," he replied churlishly.

"Can I do the same then?" she spat out. She wasn't even sure why she was making a fuss over this. It wasn't as if she really cared if he wanted to sleep with Isabella and a million other women for the rest of his life. But the fact that she had just told herself to give the marriage a change and that he clearly had no plans to even try rubbed her the wrong way.

"Of course not! What would happen if you ended up carrying another man's child?"

She slammed her fork down on the table. "I am entering a marriage with you, as equals. I am not about to be your subject."

With impeccable timing, Merlin slipped into the room bearing the next course, easily ignoring the tension that had built as he laid the food out on the table. "Sorry I'm late."

Clearly reluctant to ﬁght in front of Merlin, Arthur turned away from her and grumbled at Merlin.

When Merlin caught her eye and smiled at her, the tightness in her heart eased a little. At least she would have a friend here in Camelot. It might make everything bearable. She could do this for her kingdom.

"I assume your father will be sending men to deal with Cenred?" Perhaps a change in subject would ease the tension in the room. If she was going to have to live the rest of her life with this man, it would do no good to start out with such an antagonistic relationship.

"You're going, aren't you?" Merlin replied instead, "Arthur would never let his knights go off to battle without him, especially one as important as this one."

Merlin's complete disregard for court protocol in addressing the prince stunned her. But the prince's lack of response was just as strange. More surprisingly, it hadn't occurred to her that her soon-to-be husband would be riding out to war against Cenred. What would happen if he died on the battleﬁeld? She would be free, wouldn't she? The moment that thought popped into her head, she quickly dismissed it. She wasn't the kind of person who would wish death on anyone.

"You're going?"

"Don't sound so shocked. I actually do work around here." Arthur dropped his fork and looked sulkily at her. When she didn't respond, he sighed and continued. "The plan is to get deal with Cenred before our wedding. You and your father should stay here in Camelot. It's safer. I believe your regent is Sir Lancelot? I have seen him on the battleﬁeld before. He is a good ﬁghter. We will meet up with him and decide on the best course of action."

His face relaxed as he explained to her his initial plan of attack, his eyes dancing with excitement the more he spoke. Even as she peppered him with questions about his strategy, he patiently answered them. It was almost as if she was speaking to a completely different man, someone who was human and had a heart.

But if he was riding out to save her kingdom, she had no plan to stay and wait in Camelot for him.


	5. Detente

Before the very awkward dinner last night, his father had come to see him.

"You will marry Princess Guinevere," his father stated ﬂatly as he took a seat in his room. "She will be a strategic ally and it will beneﬁt Camelot greatly to have control over her lands. They may be small, weak even but they are sitting on valuable lands."

Still bristling with anger, Arthur slouched in his chair, crossed his arms and glared at his father. "If they are so weak, why didn't you just conquer them earlier?"

His father shook his head. "Don't be naive. Yes, we could have crushed their little kingdom easily but they were also a convenient buffer between Cenred and us. Why have someone as hostile as Cenred on our doorstep when we could have Acirith? Sending in a few knights now and then was a lot less taxing on us."

"Why not do the same now?"

"Because King Thomas is dying and he doesn't have a successor. When he was strong and healthy, things were fine. Ever since he fell ill, I've heard that with Prince Elyan's disappearance, the various noble houses have been fighting for power."

"What about the princess? If we help them and she ascends the throne, she will be beholden to us and Acirith can continue to serve their purpose as a buffer."

His father waved his hand, shushing him. "Maybe but no one would ever trust a girl on the throne and such a young one too. If she gets overthrown, what will happen? When she marries you, her lands will be part of Camelot and we can ensure that the lands are safe from the likes of Cenred. It would also be a step towards unifying the whole of Albion under the Camelot banner."

A cold chill washed over Arthur as it became clear that he was going to have no choice in this matter. "And me father? What about what I want?"

"Are you talking about Lady Isabella? She'll understand. If you like her that much, she can always be your mistress. You won't be the first noble to have a mistress. Or the last. Your duty to the kingdom comes before anything else and it would be wise that you remember that. A man cannot be King if he does not accept that fact."

Arthur stood. "Father! You are asking me to -"

"I know what I am asking of you and I know that if you truly love Camelot like you claim to, you will do as I say. This is not up for discussion. What I want to discuss is your plans to defend Acirith. I want you to take your men to Acirith as soon as the princess agrees to the proposal. You will do whatever it takes to ensure your victory. Remember that Camelot's safety is in your hands. If you have to sacrifice Acirith, then do it."

As his father left the room, Arthur slumped dejectedly onto his bed, anger churning in him. It was always like this with his father. And Arthur knew that nevertheless, he would do what his father wanted because he always did, in the vain hope that one day, he would make his father proud and prove to him he could be a good King. What a fool he was. He would never be the King his father was. What was it his father had said? His heart was too soft, like that of his mother. This time, he would let his head make the decision and not his heart. If Isabella had to be cast aside, then so be it.

Two days later and the conversation with his father still plagued Arthur and although he kept telling himself that he was doing the right thing in agreeing to this marriage, he couldn't help the sense of dread building in him. He was committing his life to someone he barely knew. What if they couldn't get along? While that one dinner they shared had ended on a vaguely positive note as the three of them discussed his strategy for defending Acirith, he was not foolish enough to forget the tension and anger that had threaded through their earlier conversation. The princess was no push-over, not that she had much choice, and he almost admired that in her. But she was also stubborn and she clearly disliked him greatly. Bitterness gnawed at him as he thought of his parents. His father had always spoken of how much he loved his mother and how great their marriage was. Why was he not entitled to the same?

"I've prepared a picnic for you," Merlin announced as he barged into his room.

"Why would I want to go on a picnic?" Arthur shoved aside the battle plans he was supposed to be looking at and glared at Merlin. Sometimes, Merlin had the strangest ideas. A war was brewing at their doorstep and Merlin wanted to go on picnics.

"Because the sun is shining and the birds are singing. It's a lovely day to have lunch out!"

"On my own?" Arthur narrowed his eyes. Merlin was definitely up to something.

"No, not exactly."

"With you?"

"As honoured as I would be to be allowed to picnic with you, no. I was thinking that perhaps, you might want to spend a bit more time with the princess."

Arthur blinked. "Why? I'm going to be spending the rest of my life with her."

"Well then, it might be a good idea to get to know her better. Also, her father is still very ill and she's been really down so I thought this would take her mind off things."

"You thought going for a picnic with the man she is forced to marry would take her mind off the bad stuff in her life?" Arthur looked incredulously at Merlin.

"Well, if you'll give me the afternoon off, I would picnic with her instead."

Grabbing the nearest pillow, Arthur tossed it at Merlin.

* * *

><p>In the end, it wasn't quite as bad as he thought it would be. It was significantly better than their dinner, mainly because there seemed to be an unspoken understanding that they would keep their conversation topics light.<p>

"And so, despite how he looks, Percival is a soft touch. In the future, if you need anything, go to him. He will not be able to turn you down at all, no matter how ridiculous your demands," Arthur chuckled as he stretched out on the picnic mat. Seeing how tiny Guinevere was, he doubted Percival could resist her. He always had a soft spot for those smaller than him, which was probably three-quarters of the world.

"You know your knights very well," she looked up at him as she idly tossed the apple she was holding. It was oddly charming.

"I should. I lead them."

She smiled at that and they lapsed into silence. It wasn't awkward but the tension that hung between them from the moment they realised they were to marry still lingered. Somehow, he had ended up doing most of the talking, sharing with her silly stories about the knights, a topic that seemed neutral enough and didn't bring up all the complications of their new relationship.

Still, it was at the back of both their minds and inevitably it came up once Arthur ran out of knights to describe.

"How is your father?"

Immediately the slight smile on her face dropped and he felt a tinge of regret. Her head dropped and she stared at her hands in her lap. "He wakes now and then but isn't coherent. Merlin says the physician thinks it is just a matter of time. I should have never made him make the trip here."

"Why did you then? It's not an easy journey."

"Did you think your father would give me a second glance if I came alone? In the end, even with my father, your father saw it fit to take advantage of our situation, forcing me into this marriage." Her eyes widened and she immediately looked guiltily at him, clasped a hand over her mouth, then said, "I'm sorry."

He raised an eyebrow and watched her. Her face was flushed and she looked contrite enough, but her eyes told a different story. Even as her deceit annoyed him, he smiled wryly. "No you're not. Same way you weren't during the meeting with my father."

"I suppose not. It's true what I said – your father is taking advantage of my situation." While she held his gaze, he noticed her hands picking at her skirt. He wondered how much of an act she was putting on.

Feeling the familiar bitterness rise up in him, he said unkindly, "you're not the only one suffering here. I wasn't given much choice in this arrangement either."

"Perhaps, but you have to admit that you have it better than me. You are not losing your land."

She turned her head away but not before he noticed the sadness in her eyes.

The urge to comfort her came as a surprise.

"We're both in a position we don't want to be in. As difficult as it is to admit, this whole thing isn't any of our fault. Maybe we should just try to make the best of it. There's no point fighting each other."

It wasn't exactly a smile that crossed her face but for some strange reason, he felt a warmth in his chest.

Obviously, his father was right about him being too soft. He told her a story about Merlin and the lost laundry instead.

* * *

><p>Despite their agreement to make the best of things, they quickly found themselves embroiled in a quarrel. Like her brother and most of the other nobles she had the misfortune to deal with, Prince Arthur was infuriatingly dismissive of her. All she asked was to travel with his knights and men to Acirith but he refused, saying she would only slow them down and be a distraction. The whole day he had purposely avoided her until she finally cornered him in the armoury. She must have looked angry because the young page boy with him glanced at her, then made excuses to leave.<p>

"What do you want?" Arthur snapped, not even bothering to mask the annoyance in his voice, "I hope this isn't about you travelling to Acirith with us because we've had that conversation already and the answer is no."

"I'm just here to tell you that with or without your approval, I'm going to ride to Acirith. I can ride with you or I can ride alone."

He glared at her. She lifted her chin. He wasn't going to intimidate her so easily. Grumbling under his breath, he left the armoury, leaving her standing there all alone. She was tempted to rush after him and yell at him but that would draw too much attention to her. With a huff, she went back to her room, determined to follow him no matter what he said. She negotiated the three day journey with her ill father. She could do it alone.

That evening, Merlin popped into her chambers to inform her that the army was leaving before dawn the next day and that the prince expected her to be ready to ride by then.

She suspected Arthur was still upset with her when he pointedly ignored her the next morning. Instead, it was Merlin who helped her saddle up, chattering away happily as he did so. What she wouldn't give to be as carefree as him. As they adjusted the saddle on the horse, she noticed Lady Isabella approaching Arthur. The three days she had been in Camelot, she had carefully avoided the Lady and while she told herself that whatever business Lady Isabella had with Arthur was none of her concern, she found it hard to tear her eyes away from them.

When Isabella leaned forward to give Arthur a long, lingering kiss, one he appeared to welcome enthusiastically, she rolled her eyes and turned away. Everyone knew of their impending nuptials and Arthur couldn't even practise some self-discipline. As she busied herself with checking her supplies, she heard Arthur give the command to leave. Ever the gentleman, Merlin helped her onto her horse and they set off, she, Arthur, Merlin and a few thousand men. This was it. Drawing a deep breath, she urged her horse on.

Sometime during the day, Arthur slowed his horse and rode beside her.

"You're a good rider," he said, a touch of surprise in his tone.

"I've been riding since young, much like you, I expect," she replied curtly, still sore at him. She sped up but he simply sped up alongside her.

He laughed at her response. "You're very sensitive about people underestimating you, aren't you?" When she said nothing, he continued, "Well, I think I know better than that now. There are few people who can stare down my father for one. Merlin tells me you've been ruling Acirith too, which is more than I have done. The last thing I would think is that you are weak."

"Good," she said coldly. "Because I'm not."

"I'll bear that in mind Princess." He flashed her the most genuine smile he'd ever given her, before urging his horse on. She stared at his back wondering why her heart was beating so fast.

* * *

><p>AN: Once again, thank you for the comments. They mean a lot to me.<p> 


	6. Inconvenient Feelings

After hours of riding, they finally stopped to make camp. Ever since they left Camelot, she had noticed that Arthur's mood improved considerably. She watched him laugh and joke with his knights, behaving like they were on some sort of outing instead of on the way to war. The more he played around with his knights, the more upset she found herself getting. She had just signed away her whole life. Arthur could at least take the war seriously.

"Many have said he's very good looking. Is that why you're staring?"

She jumped at the voice. "How do you do that, Merlin? You scared me."

"Sorry. It was easy since you were so focused on him."

Heat rose in her cheeks. She might have admired the way his gold hair reflected the light from the campfire but that didn't mean anything. "I was just concerned. He seems to be having a great time."

"Are you worried he isn't taking this war seriously?"

"All I can think about is how we can successfully defeat Cenred with as minimal deaths as possible and he's sitting there as if he hasn't a care in the world. Even Sir Leon looks more serious about this than him. Why did Arthur come if he cared so little?"

"Ah. Don't let that fool you. Nothing is more important than his reputation so even if he doesn't care about Acirith, he will not let his knights fail."

Merlin's words eased the worry in her a little but later that night, when most had retired to bed, she found herself hesitating outside Arthur's tent. Nodding to the guards outside, she carefully pushed open the entrance.

"Arthur?"

There was a rush of movement on the bed and he scrambled out, clad in nothing but his breeches that rode low on his hips. He was definitely fit and she dragged her gaze from his bare chest to his face. His hair was ruffled and he was looking at her without the usual guards up, oddly wide-eyed and innocent.

"Guinevere! What are you doing here?" Quickly, he snagged a shirt from a chair and pulled it on, directing her attention to the way the muscles moved.

She licked her suddenly dry lips. Telling herself to keep her eyes on his face, her words came out uncharacteristically shyly. "I just had a few questions. About the battle that is." What was wrong with her? No one had ever flustered her this much before and he hadn't even done anything, aside from put on a shirt, something she'd seen her brother do enough times. Her throat decided to join her lips and she swallowed to wet it. "Do you think we will be able to push Cenred's army out?"

He stared at her a while before answering. "Easily. I wouldn't worry about it."

It was a lie. The way he wouldn't meet her eyes when he answered gave him away. She suspected he knew she would know it was a lie. But she smiled at him nevertheless. Few people bothered to make her feel better and it touched her that he would attempt to. Shaking her head, she told him not to lie.

"Well, maybe not easily but we will defeat Cenred. I did it once and I can do it again." The arrogance was back but for once, she appreciated it. "How bad have the attacks been?"

"When I left, Cenred's army had overrun our outlying lands. We sent some of our knights and men out but it's really a walk to their death. We don't have the numbers and -"

He took a step closer to her. "And?"

"Well, as much as I am loathed to admit it, your father was right. Once my father got ill, things have been difficult, especially with the knights. I'm sure you know what the knights can be like - always doing whatever they want, thinking that just because they have been knighted, they are special."

"I'm a knight." Arthur turned sharply from her and dragged a hand through his hair, messing it up that little bit more.

"Yes. I know. I just -" She hadn't come to upset him. "I'm sorry. My dad always says I speak without thinking. It's just that these knights - they don't seem to care that my people, our people are the ones suffering the brunt of the ﬁghting. All they worry about is how much loot they can get from the villages or how much glory they can get. I'm sure you're not like that though," she trailed off, glancing uncertainly at him.

"No," he replied coolly and she could hear the irritation in his voice, even if she couldn't see his face. His back was straight with tension.

She wanted the Arthur she glimpsed at briefly back – the one with the genuine smiles and quiet concern for her. "I'm sorry. I know that had I not come seeking help, you would not be in this position, having to marry someone you barely know and getting involved in a war."

He laughed bitterly at that, swinging around to face her. "You'll ﬁnd, Princess, that I am constantly made to do things I don't want to do. This marriage is no different. But such is the life of a prince."

"And a princess," she muttered wryly. "Thank you. For everything. I know that we may not have gotten along well all the time but Merlin assures me you are a good man, despite our differences and I think that perhaps, we can make this union work."

Suddenly, he was closer to her, so close that she could feel his warmth. His striking blue eyes bore into hers and for a moment, time hung in the air.

"I'm just doing my duty, Princess," he rasped, his breath ghosting across her cheek. Her heart sped up and she seemed to have forgotten how to breathe.

The moment she had the completely irrational urge to touch him, she knew she had to leave. Muttering a quick thank you and good night, she rushed out of the tent, almost stumbling in her haste.

* * *

><p>The journey to Acirith was a long and tedious one and while the princess hadn't been as much of a burden as he had expected at first, she did manage to insert herself into his thoughts on a fairly regular basis. It wasn't exactly her fault he couldn't stop thinking of their encounter in his tent, when for a tiny moment, he'd almost touched her. Still, he knew he was being snappish towards her and after she lost her temper at him that morning, she had pointedly ignored him for the rest of the day.<p>

"You and Gwen. Always staring at each other. One would almost think you're in love! Not that that would be a bad thing."

"Shut up, Merlin. I wasn't staring. And since when did you start calling her Gwen?"

"If you say so," Merlin replied, amusement thick in his voice, "she's a lovely girl and you have to admit she's quite attractive. She would make a great Queen and wife. And all that sparks between the two of you -"

"Have you been paid to promote her to me? Maybe you should marry her. She may be a lovely girl but she's also stubborn and opinionated. Can you imagine having to deal with that for the rest of my life?"

"Actually, I can. Very vividly actually." Merlin chuckled as he gave Arthur a pointed look before spurring his horse on. "Oh look! I can see Acirith's castle up ahead."

Rolling his eyes and wondering again why Merlin was still his manservant, Arthur raced off after him.

The castle was still untouched by the war although an atmosphere of fear and doom hung over the towns. Only a few knights were at the courtyard to greet them, led by Sir Lancelot.

He had met Sir Lancelot once on the battleﬁeld. They were ﬁghting on the same side, an alliance between a few kingdoms, and he remembered being impressed with Lancelot's swordsmanship. Had Lancelot not already pledged allegiance to Acirith, Arthur would have asked him to come to Camelot. He remembered being less impressed with a number of the other knights. The princess was right about them - they seemed to be more interested in their own glory and riches than they were ﬁghting for their kingdom. This attitude wasn't uncommon, Arthur knew, in the other kingdoms especially with the tendency of many to view the knights as some sort of exclusive class. But he had learnt from his father that this could not be allowed if they wanted to have a strong and capable force. Ruthlessly cutting any knight who refused to adhere to his rules, his father put together a disciplined and efﬁcient group of knights which allowed him to conquer large swathes of land.

He wondered if his reputation on the battlefield had preceded him. Hopefully it had. It might make commanding the Acirith's knights easier.

"Prince Arthur. Princess Guinevere." Lancelot bowed deeply as he welcomed them, "Shall we adjourn to the council room? I'm afraid things have become worse since you left my lady. Cenred's men have taken Brohill and are advancing towards Stopool. We are very grateful for your assistance Prince Arthur."

Lancelot looked every much the noble knight. With the ease of someone who had done this often, Lancelot helped Guinevere off her horse and she slid against him before her feet met the ground. It didn't escape Arthur's notice, not without some disapproval, that Lancelot's hands lingered at her waist or that he quickly tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear before finally taking a step back to a much more appropriate distance. He wondered how Lancelot would react when he learnt about the arrangement between the two kingdoms.

"What about the people seeking refuge?" Guinevere asked worriedly as she slipped her hand through Lancelot's arm.

"We've allowed who we can in. At this point, the council believes that we can only let those who bring supplies into the castle."

"And what did you say to that?"

"I'm sorry. With some of the knights being difficult and the morale of the men low, I was unable to persuade the council that they should allow more of the people in. It was difficult enough getting them to allow those with supplies in."

The princess turned her head away, her body clearly showing her displeasure at what was happening.

"How much supplies do you have right now?" Arthur asked, wondering how bad the situation was.

"About 2 months if we are conservative and if we don't let anymore into the gates," Lancelot replied as he pushed open the door to what appeared to be Acirith's council room. A group of knights and elderly statesmen rose as they entered. None of them looked particularly pleased to see him and he sighed inwardly. As he settled into his seat and prepared to outline his strategy, he suspected that he was in for a long, difﬁcult meeting.

That was an understatement.

If he thought that his father and the Camelot council treated him with little respect, it was even worse here. Almost every one of them had eyed him with suspicion and when he presented his plans, there had been a thousand and one criticisms and questions. Eventually, despite initially planning to be as diplomatic as possible, he had stood up, coldly told them that he was in charge and if they didn't like it they could leave. It was the most assertive he had ever been and it felt good. He should do it more often.

"What about the refugee situation? Is it possible for us to take in more people?" Guinevere asked towards the end of the meeting. Throughout, she had publicly supported his plans, not that it mattered to anyone. His father was right. With King Thomas sickly, the nobles in the council made it clear that they had little respect for her or her thoughts. It shocked him how much this upset him so much so that he made it a point to refer to her positively as often as he could.

"Princess," Lord Damian's tone was condescending, "as we have said before, the council doesn't believe that we can afford to take them in."

"How long do you expect to take to defeat Cenred?" She looked at him.

Arthur eyed her warily. "A week or so."

"And we have over a month of supplies. If we cut the rations for the knights and nobles, rations which I think are more than generous, we can afford to allow the people camping outside in."

Dissent rose in the room with everyone immediately pointing out the unnecessary risks this meant. If they had hoped the princess would stop pushing in face of all this opposition, they were sadly mistaken. Instead she stood her ground, firmly insisting that, as long as she was princess, the people would be allowed in. He almost felt a sense awe as he watched her resolutely defend her position.

"What do you think?" Some lord turned to him and demanded. "Tell her what a fool she is being."

And although he too felt that letting in so many people was a risk, he said calmly, "This is her lands and I support her decision. The princess is far from a fool and you all would do well to remember that."

Her eyes met his in shock, then her lips softened into a slight smile. He smiled back and for a brief moment, it felt like it was them against the world. Quickly Arthur tore his eyes from her, willing his heart to stop pounding. He was here to fight a war, not develop tender feelings for the wife foisted on him.

* * *

><p>"How does it feel not having everyone kissing your feet?" Merlin asked laughingly as Arthur got ready for bed. Gwen seemed to have given him a room as far from hers as possible and Arthur wondered if she trusted him so little that she thought he'd take advantage of her.<p>

"You ﬁnd it funny do you?" grumbled Arthur, "How are we supposed to win this war if no one can get along? And did you see how they treated Guinevere? She's their princess and they act as if she's of no consequence."

"Didn't realize you cared."

Arthur sighed. He didn't realise he cared either.

Unable to sleep that night, he left his room and stood at the castle ramparts, looking out at the stars that blanketed the sky. The view was stunning, lush green hills on one side, thick forest on the other, but it wasn't Camelot. Not for long though. Soon enough, these lands and their people would come under the Camelot banner. Guinevere had not told her council of the deal she had made with Camelot despite his urging. Looking at the way the council treated her, he knew it wasn't going to go down well with them.

"Admiring your new lands?" As if his thoughts had conjured her up, the princess stepped to stand next to him, her hands resting on the rough stone.

"They are only mine if I come back successful against Cenred," he answered mildly, reluctant to get into another argument with her the eve of battle. He glanced at her. For the first time, her hair hung loosely down her back, making her look a lot younger than before. Her white nightdress looked too thin to guard against the cold, night wind and he couldn't help but notice the way her dress fell over the curves of her breasts and the shadow of her nipples.

"Strange isn't it? That either way I lose my lands? Either to Camelot or to Cenred." Anger tinged her voice and she gripped the edge of the parapet tightly. He could feel the tension in her body and wondered if the council had gotten to her.

"The difference is that I actually care about what happens to your lands. Cenred just wants Camelot and will have no qualms about burning through your kingdom. You didn't seem so angry about this before."

He heard her let out a breath. Her fingers were still tight on the parapet and Arthur, slowly, covered one hand with his, gently rubbing until her fingers relaxed a little. They stared silently across her lands.

"Is your council always like that with you?"

There was a pause before she answered. "Mostly. I'm used to it and it helps that I am princess and can force them to heed my instructions. As long as my father is alive, they will not dare to act in opposition to me. When he passes on -" She stopped and took a breath. "Thank you for supporting me in there."

"It would not have been a decision I would make."

"You would let your people die?"

"In a perfect world, no. But when saving a few might mean the death of many more, then yes I would. It is painful but it is what my father would have done. Now, we have put ourselves in a riskier position."

"Then your father is wrong. My father would never allow a situation in which we are knowingly leaving our people to die. Our lands are worth nothing without our people."

He couldn't help his smile. Guinevere had passion and she loved her people fiercely. "And my father would say that you let your heart rule your head and for that you will always struggle to win. He would overrule you too."

"But you didn't." She slipped her hand from underneath his and he missed the feel of her skin.

"No. I won't tell you that this hasn't made things difficult for me but this is your land and I will respect your decision."

He moved closer to her, feeling her arm brush against his. Wanting to take her mind off the war, he said, "Tell me about your lands." His voice came out lower than usual and she shivered slightly. Part of him wondered what he was doing when he pulled off his coat and draped it around her shoulders. He should be asleep, resting for the battle instead of encouraging her to talk about her lands. But the smile that crossed her face when she spoke of her kingdom, the light in her eyes, made him feel a sense of contentment he'd not felt in a long time and he let her talk. She loved Acirith as much as he loved Camelot and watching her talk about it was possibly the most beautiful sight he had seen.

When she finally finished, it was completely natural to bend down and brush his lips across hers. It didn't seem strange either when she leaned into him and sighed. He closed his eyes, deepened the kiss, and placed his hand lightly on her hip. Guinevere smelled like flowers and tasted like apples. It probably only lasted a few seconds but it felt longer. She finally pulled away, face flushed and refusing to meet his eyes.

He looked away and by the time he composed himself, she was gone.

* * *

><p>AN: The next part will probably be in a few days at least. :) Thanks for reading and commenting!<p> 


	7. Crashing Down

Guinevere wished she hated Prince Arthur. She wished he hadn't been nice to her or showed her a part of him that wasn't the spoiled, uncaring prince she thought he was. And she definitely wished that there wasn't this simmering desire that flared to life every time they got too near to each other.

Just one signature and she could free herself from marriage to Arthur and keep Acirith independent and safe. Just one signature and yet she couldn't do it. Locking herself in her chambers the whole evening, she pondered over the proposal, torn between her promise to Camelot and the prospect of freedom. Had Cenred brought this to her three years ago, she would have signed it willingly. Now, everything was such a mess.

* * *

><p>The morning before their armies left for battle, she had impulsively invited Arthur for breakfast in her chambers, saying she wanted to thank him for everything he was doing for her kingdom and to return the coat he had left with her the night before. He had been somewhat reserved in the beginning but as they talked about the difficulties of being children of kings everyone respected, and never quite living up to everyone's expectations, he warmed up and she found herself finding it difficult to remember that this was the same arrogant and selfish prince she met in Camelot. His strong pride in his knights and his own battle skills amused her more than annoyed her and his ranting about Merlin for the silliest reasons no longer irked her half as much, although she chided him for not seeing how much Merlin cared. He took her chiding in good humour and they laughed over the ridiculousness of some of the court ceremonies.<p>

It was a horrible mistake.

"Arthur." His hand on the door, he stopped and looked expectantly at her. "Here. It's for luck." Clumsily, she pressed a piece of lavender cloth in his palms before quickly stepping back. It wasn't the first time she had given anyone a token so she couldn't understand why she was so nervous.

"Oh." He stared at it, confusion on his face.

"It doesn't mean anything. I mean, it does. It's for luck but I'm not giving it to you because -"

His smile was warm and slightly bashful. "Thank you."

Once again, he was so close, she could feel the warmth from his body. For a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her again, and shamefully, she wanted him too. But he simply leaned over and brushed his fingers across her cheeks, so lightly and quickly that Gwen thought that she might have imagined it all. Even then, her body reacted as if he'd wrapped himself around her and kissed her deeply.

"I should go."

She heard him call her name but she pretended not to and disappeared into her quarters, where she could calm herself.

Later, in the courtyard, as she wished Lancelot goodbye, kissing his cheek and wondering why it felt so chaste and innocent in contrast to Arthur's brief touch, Gwen could feel Arthur's eyes on her. She lifted her head and sought him out. He inclined his head in acknowledgement, the corners of his mouth quirking up slightly, then turned back to talking to the knights.

"Don't worry. I'll look after him," said Merlin, coming to stand next to Lancelot.

"Arthur?"

A grin split Merlin's face. "Well, I was thinking Lancelot, but Arthur will do as well."

Flushing, Gwen glanced at Lancelot who, busy with his horse, didn't seem to have heard her. She shook her head, even as she smiled. "Stop it. There's a war to win."

"Gwen, it'll work out. Have faith in us." Merlin dropped the teasing and said solemnly.

As everyone moved out, under Arthur's command, Gwen stood on the steps of the castle and watched them, her heart heavy with fear and worry. The future of her kingdom rested on them. Around her stood her council aand once again, she felt all alone.

* * *

><p>One kiss and her whole world was turned upside down. Why couldn't Cenred have asked her to turn her back on Camelot when she didn't care about their survival? Why invade her kingdom then suddenly turn around and offer a peace treaty?<p>

Then she knew. And she couldn't believe she didn't work it out earlier. All those strange feelings she was developing for Arthur were muddying her thoughts.

Summoning the Escetian messenger, she marched to the throne room, anger boiling in her. The moment the messenger entered the room, she said coldly, "Tell your lord that I'm not a fool and that I know what this so-called peace treaty is about. I will have no part of it. Camelot is a valuable ally and I will not be party to your attack on them."

There was no reaction on the messenger's face. "I'm afraid you'll find that this was a foolish thing to do. Without protection from either Camelot or Escetia, do you think your small kingdom will survive?"

"I will not betray Camelot and I trust Camelot will stand by me. Leave now before I revoke my hospitality and have you imprisoned," Guinevere snapped, still bristling with anger at the messenger and herself.

Immediately, Lord Damian started to complain, joined in by other members of the council.

"Listen!" Fear made her patience thin and her sharp tone quietened the council immediately. "Cenred made use of us to draw Camelot's forces here, away from Camelot. Whether or not we sign the treaty with him, he is going to attack Camelot while Arthur's men are busy fighting in Acirith. In fact, his army is probably marching on Gallaga now. I will not sacrifice the dignity of this kingdom by joining hands with someone like Cenred. We are also Camelot's allies and we will not betray our allies. Acirith is a noble kingdom and we will remain so."

"Princess –"

She stood, ignoring the protests. "We need to warn Camelot of Cenred's plans. I want a group of knights riding to Camelot as soon as possible. I also need another group to ride to Arthur and Lancelot and inform them of this. Lastly, shore up the defences in Gallaga. Move more men there from the other regions

By the time she collapsed in bed, she felt she had done all she could yet a sense of unease remained. With the majority of her men with Arthur and Lancelot, she knew it was only a matter of time before Cenred took Gallaga and attacked Camelot. She thought of Arthur, his promise just before he rode out that he would do all he could to save her land and people and the anger he would feel when he discovered Cenred's plans. Guilt churned in her as she realised that not only had her plea for help led to him being forced into a marriage with her, it also led Camelot straight into Cenred's trap.

* * *

><p>A week later, the group sent to Camelot returned with news that Cenred had already begun his attack from Gallaga and her men there were easily outnumbered. More refugees arrived at the castle gate and Gwen let them all in. While Cenred himself was not there, a female knight was leading the charge and with Arthur's knights and men away, things were not looking good for the kingdom. The next day, her men arrived from the borders of Acirith where Arthur and Lancelot were.<p>

"My lady, Prince Arthur says to inform you that with Camelot under seige, he is riding directly there. Sir Lancelot has volunteered Acirith's army to aid Camelot and so they are riding there together. Prince Arthur says you are to stay with your people in Acirith. Cenred is no longer interested in your land at the moment so you and your people should be safe. He also says he will come for you when this is all over."

In the days after that, Guinevere lived on tenterhooks, eagerly listening for any news from Camelot. Life in Acirith was slowly going back to the way it was before Cenred's attack, the refugees leaving her castle walls for their lands and while it seemed that peace had returned to her kingdom, it hadn't returned to her heart. She worried constantly about her father in Camelot, about Arthur and Lancelot and about what it meant for her kingdom if Camelot fell. Many times she was tempted to ride out to Camelot herself although she wasn't very sure what the point of doing that was.

When, finally, news came that Lancelot and his men had returned from Camelot, relief almost crippled her and she rushed immediately to the courtyard to receive them.

"My lady," a tired Lancelot greeted her.

"Lancelot! I trust all is well in Camelot? My father? Prince Arthur? Merlin?"

A strange look crossed his face and he took her arm, leading her away from where everyone was.

"Guinevere, I can understand why you did what you did but you couldn't have expected this to end well."

"What are you talking about? Is my father fine?" Confused by Lancelot's words, Gwen stared at him. What had she done?

"He is weaker, but stable, according to Merlin. I had no chance to see him. We have to be very thankful that Prince Arthur seems to have developed some affection for you and has stayed his father's hand. Guinevere, I'm tired, dirty. If you don't mind, let me freshen up, then we can talk about how we can salvage this situation." Lancelot bowed and left her confused and nervous.

While waiting for Lancelot, she went to see the rest of her men who returned, taking note of those who had fallen in battle. She would need to arrange a suitable token for their families. More than half her men returned and she was very grateful. She wondered how many casualties Camelot had suffered. She also wondered what happened to Cenred and his kingdom. Had King Uther spared his life? Was a peace treaty in effect?

* * *

><p>It took a while but Lancelot finally returned, his mood no better than it was before. It struck her that he might have learnt about the marriage agreement. Perhaps it had been a bad idea to delay telling anyone till the end of the war. But surely Lancelot would understand the position she was in.<p>

"Why did you do it?" Lancelot asked wearily as he took a seat.

"Agree to marry Prince Arthur?"

"No," he said on a sigh. "As much as that pains me, I think I can understand why. What I don't understand is why you then decided to betray Camelot."

"Betray Camelot?" Her mind ran through all she had done over the past weeks. Perhaps she could have done more, but she would hardly consider that a betrayal.

"Were you trying to get out of the marriage? Is that why you aligned yourself with Cenred? Did you think that Cenred could defeat Camelot? Surely you knew better than that. There is a reason Camelot is the largest kingdom around. Even with magic, Cenred was unable to do more than temporarily weaken Camelot."

Shock robbed her of speech. Disappointment flickered in Lancelot's eyes as he waited expectantly for a response. Realising none was forthcoming, he sighed and continued, "Prince Arthur took the news badly but he stopped his father from sending forces to Acirith. It was fortunate I made the decision to aid Camelot. That seemed to have bought us a little goodwill."

"I never betrayed Camelot." Dazed, she barely managed a whisper. "There was no way we could have defended Gallaga with the men we had but we tried. You would have seen the knights there!"

"That's not what Camelot thinks. If you signed the treaty with Cenred, then we will weather whatever happens. I'm surprised that you would do something like this but I've always said I would have your back, and I will."

"No," she breathed, the severity of the situation sinking into her. "No. I never did any of this. There must be a misunderstanding. I need to go to Camelot and clear this up before this becomes even worse. And my father is there, at their mercy. I have to go."

* * *

><p>Arthur stood next to the throne, his heart pounding as his eyes trained on the large doors in front of him. In a few moments it was going to swing open and the princess was going to walk through them. It wasn't unexpected of course. Her father was here in Camelot and as conniving and ruthless as she was, he didn't think she would leave her father at their mercy. At least there was someone she cared about, he thought bitterly, because despite the truce he thought they'd managed to develop, she definitely didn't care about him.<p>

Things had been a mess when he had rushed back to Camelot. Cenred had somehow gotten the aid of some magic users and they raised an undead army, impervious to any form of attack. Things had been looking bad until for some reason, the magic faded and the undead began disappearing into puffs of smoke. And while victory was easily achieved after that, Morgana had gone missing in the aftermath. With no body found, they suspected that she might have been captured by that female knight leading the charge on Camelot, perhaps as leverage for some sort of deal. But when days passed and no news arrived, they expected the worst. Still, patrols were sent out everyday to comb the surrounding lands for any sight of her.

"My lord, Princess Guinevere of Acirith is here to see you," a guard roughly pushed her in front of the throne. His fingers curled into his palms as he pushed down the instinct to ask that she be treated with more respect. It was her that caused all the suffering in Camelot, her that led to Morgana's disappearance. She didn't deserve his consideration. Yet, when her confused, troubled eyes met his, he found himself snapping at the guard, "You don't have to treat her like that. She is not our prisoner."

He watched warily as his father stood and approached her.

"Did you think Camelot would fall? Did you think yours and Cenred's little scheme would work? Give me one reason I shouldn't send in my men to take over your kingdom."

"Sire, I have no idea what you are talking about. At no point during these few weeks have I done anything to betray Camelot. In fact, my men went with Prince Arthur to fight for Camelot. Why would we do that if we planned to betray you?" While she kept her voice steady, Arthur could see the slight tremor in her body. Her eyes held a mixture of pain and confusion. Had he not known better, he would have thought that she was telling the truth. Obviously he was a fool when it came to her. The conversations, the laughter, the kiss, everything was a lie, probably to ensure he never suspected her duplicity. To think that for a moment, he had thought that he would actually be happy with her as his wife. Resentment curdled in him and he looked away. Watching her lie was too painful.

"Do you take us as fools? They used your lands to attack Camelot. They attacked when the main army was down in Acirith! Maybe you thought that having your tiny army look like they were aiding us would hide your betrayal but unfortunately for you, you plan didn't work. I should arrest you right now and have you executed," snarled his father.

This made Arthur look up. He knew that treason against the King was an executable offense but when it was by a member of another royal court?

"Sire," her voice was no longer as strong or steady as it was a few minutes ago. "Please, you must believe me. I did nothing to betray Camelot. How did you come about this information?"

"What right do you think you have to question me? Would you rather your father dies in your place?"

"No!" Arthur recognised the slight quiver in her lips, a sign that she was holding back tears. He swallowed, angry at how bad that made him feel. "Please, Sire. I never betrayed Camelot. Yes, Cenred's men came and offered peace if I allowed him to attack Camelot from Gallaga but I never agreed to anything. Instead, I moved whatever men I had left to Gallaga -"

"I've enough of your blathering. Take her to her chambers and make sure she's guarded round the clock."

"Sire –" Her voice broke.

Two knights stepped forward, grabbed her arms and yanked her towards the door. Hating how they manhandled her, Arthur raised a hand. "Stop, I will take her."

He hated the hope that he saw in her eyes when he reached her. What was she hoping for? That she had charmed him enough that he would turn his back on Camelot? After the battle, when Arthur heard of her betrayal from his father, he'd refused to believe it at first. Now, with everything pointing to her selling them out to Cenred, Arthur had to face the fact that she had, indeed, lied to him and his father.

In the corridors, she stopped walking and placed a hand on his arm. "You have to believe me, Arthur. I would –"

He wanted to yell at her, demand an explanation but when he looked down at her, and saw the exhaustion and pain in her face, he couldn't. Slowly, he removed her hand. "Get some rest. It will be a long day tomorrow."

When he closed the door to her chambers, he thought he saw tears in her eyes. He leaned against her door and closed his eyes. He barely knew her, and now, with her actions, he wouldn't have to marry her. He should be rejoicing and yet he could barely muster up a smile.

* * *

><p>AN: I'm sorry. I know things have taken a turn for the worse now. :(<p> 


	8. Without Hope

When Arthur was coolly informed by his father that his marriage to Guinevere would still go ahead later when he returned to the throne room, Arthur thought that either his father was going mad or he was going deaf. "What is this about? You can't expect me to marry her! Not after what she did. This doesn't make any sense."

In a tone that suggested that Arthur was somewhat dim, Uther said,,"Acirith has very good relations with the other 3 kingdoms. You know how the 3 kingdoms have been suspicious of our growing power and have been establishing treaties among themselves. I don't want an invasion of Acirith to be excuse for them to attack us. By marrying her, we take Acirith's lands, we strengthen our position and we avoid an outright war. And Cenred might have run away with his tail between his legs, but he has something up his sleeves. With Morgana still missing, I'm not inclined to start another war with another kingdom."

"And you do not think that she would work against us? She stabbed us in the back once, she can do it again."

"No, not when her lands are part of Camelot. She may be untrustworthy but I know she loves her kingdom and as long as we maintain control over her land and her people, she wouldn't dare make another move against us. Once she bears a child, she will not think of betraying us again," his father replied dismissively.

This was her punishment, Arthur slowly realised and he was merely a pawn in it.

As if reading his thoughts, his father wearily said, "You are the crown prince and sometimes you need to sacrifice your personal happiness for the kingdom. I did." Arthur doubted it but before he could retort, his father was walking away.

Left alone in the throne room, with the exception of the two silent guards at the door, Arthur sank into his father's throne and allowed the confusing mix of emotions and thoughts to consume him.

"Arthur?" With unfailing timing, Merlin popped into the room, "I heard what happened."

"Go away."

"I went to see her but the guards wouldn't let me in."

"Why would you do that? She's a traitor. Not such a wonderful girl is she now? And I still have to marry her. Good for the kingdom," he muttered bitterly.

"She is a good person -"

Arthur laughed coldly. "I thought so too, before. She seemed so kind, strong, genuine. And when she laughed …" Something burned in his throat and he stopped talking.

"You know we only have Isabella's word that Gwen betrayed Camelot. Don't you think it's suspicious that a guard from Escetia would give her such information?"

"Are you saying Lady Isabella is a liar? She has been nothing but loyal to this kingdom since birth."

"Arthur, perhaps she had a …"

"Don't say anything else, especially if you have no proof. Cenred attacked from Gallaga after luring most of our men to the Acirith-Escetia border, exactly as Isabella said. The men we captured confirmed her story."

"But …"

"Look, Merlin. I know you like the princess but you need to accept that she isn't who we thought she was." Arthur let out a sigh. He needed to heed his own advice. "Don't you have duties to attend to anyway or do you need me to give you more things to do?"

* * *

><p>When she had heard Merlin's voice outside her door, her spirits had lifted a little but it was short lived. It was obvious she wasn't going to be allowed any visitors. She hadn't even been able to see her father and worry about him gnawed at her.<p>

Perched on the bed, she dropped her head into her hands. How had things gone so wrong so quickly? For a brief moment after her army left to fight Cenred, she remembered feeling a sense of hope, something she hadn't felt in a long time. Arthur would return victorious and the two of them would build a friendship that would make their marriage comfortable. Or so she'd hoped and now, the marriage was surely over and the future of Acirith even more uncertain with enemies on both sides of her border.

She was so tired. It seemed that she'd been fighting for her kingdom for weeks and everywhere she turned, there was another obstacle for her to climb. Maybe her council was right – she wasn't strong enough to be Queen. Maybe Acirith would do better as part of Camelot. Maybe she should give up the crown to someone on the council. With these thoughts swirling in her mind, Gwen fell into a fractured sleep.

* * *

><p>The smell of food wafted into the room and she opened her eyes to see the prince entering bearing a tray of dinner. For a brief moment she wanted to rush to him, beg him to believe her but the cold anger in his eyes and the tension in his body kept her rooted to the spot. During that awful confrontation with King Uther, every look Arthur had thrown at her was cold and that tore at her more than the king's false accusations.<p>

"Your dinner," he said curtly as he dumped the tray onto the table.

"Isn't serving dinner beneath you?" she snapped, suddenly angry that he too believed she would commit such an act.

She made sure to keep her gaze on him as much as she wanted to look away. He stepped closer to her, crowding her and she found it hard to breathe.

"When did you plan this? Even before you arrived? What was the point of that charade then - inviting me for breakfast, laughing with me, giving me the token, kissing me back? Did it amuse you that I was such a fool? Was this just a little game on the side?"

He was hurt.

She had expected him to be angry, furious even. Confused. But hurt?

He turned away abruptly and stalked to the window. Staring out of it, he continued in a cooler voice, "My father says we are to get married next week."

That was even more unexpected than Arthur's hurt. "Marry? Your father thinks I am a traitor!"

"I am to tell you that you have two choices – Camelot invades Acirith or you marry me."

A bitter laugh escaped her. "It's not like I have much of a choice. Again."

"You can go back and tell Lancelot to prepare for battle."

"A battle we cannot hope to win? A battle that would make my people suffer even more? I don't think so."

Arthur laughed without humour, turning to face her. "Is this your way of making amends to your people for your failed scheme? By sacrificing yourself? You chose this. Don't regret it because it's not going to be easy for you. Your betrayal will be kept within the castle. To everyone, you are an honourable princess. But don't think we will forget what you did."

As he brushed past her, she reached out to him. "You said before we should try to make the marriage work …"

"That was when I thought you were a different person."

"I did not sell your kingdom out. I don't know who told your father that but he or she was lying!" Without thinking, she grabbed his arm, wanting to stop him from walking out. Hoping that unlike his father, he would listen to her. "Surely you don't think I am capable of such an act."

He paused and looked at her. For a moment, the coldness in his eyes disappeared. Then, in a tired voice, he said, "I have no idea what you are capable of. I don't think I know you at all."

The sadness in his eyes struck her and she dropped her hold on him. "I swear I didn't do anything to betray you or your kingdom."

He said nothing. There was nothing else to be said, Gwen realised. They were to be married whether they liked it or not. And this time, there wasn't even hope of a friendship. But maybe, there was still hope for her kingdom.

"Could you let me see my father please? He's not well and I want to -"

Before she could even finish her sentence, he left the room, slamming the door behind him.

She hadn't cried in a long time but tears pricked her eyes and she sat at the table, in front of her dinner, and let the tears fall. A while later, after she dried her tears and as she sat staring unseeingly at her dinner, the door opened and a guard walked in.

"I've been asked to bring you to your father."


	9. A New Life

It was strange how things changed. Dinner with Lady Isabella usually meant light, meaningless conversation followed by an energetic making out session. Arthur quite enjoyed them, usually. This time, all he could think of was Guinevere, the pain and confusion in her eyes, and her pleas of innocence.

As usual, Isabella was all decked up and when Arthur arrived at the table, she stood, smiled coyly and pressed a kiss warmly against the side of his lips. A month ago, Arthur was all ready to marry her. They shared an attraction and while, they seemed to share little else, it mattered little to Arthur. Yet now, even as she smiled sultrily at him, Arthur found himself thinking about Guinevere and how even in their brief conversations, he felt more of a connection to her than he ever had to Isabella, someone he'd grown up with.

It had been two days since he brought Guinevere dinner and news of their marriage. That evening, she had sent thanks through Merlin, who he told the guards to allow into her room, for arranging for the visit to her father. He hadn't heard from her since as he kept himself busy with the knights' training. Merlin was also constantly annoying him by insisting he thought the princess was being framed. He had to threaten Merlin with more chores to get him to shut up. Yet he couldn't get that thought out of his head, the possibility that Guinevere might have been framed. It felt like a life line had been extended to him and he had only to grasp it. And so he had asked Isabella for dinner, an invitation she eagerly accepted.

As he settled down opposite Isabella, it briefly crossed his mind that she might have gotten the wrong impression. Guilt settled in his heart. While they had never discussed it, Arthur knew Isabella expected to marry him and since his arranged marriage, he hadn't had the time to speak to her about it much.

"Oh Arthur, we haven't had time alone since you went off to war. Isn't this nice?" Her leg rubbed against his under the table. Awkwardly, he shifted in his seat. For all his talk to Guinevere about keeping Isabella as his mistress, it wasn't something Arthur particularly wanted.

"Isabella," he said gently. "I'm sorry. I've been busy."

"With your upcoming wedding, I suppose." Her lips pressed into a tight line and she looked away.

Arthur nodded. "Among other things."

As Merlin placed their dinner in front of them, Arthur allowed Isabella to dictate the conversation, hoping that this would make her comfortable. Like before when they used to dine together regularly, Isabella dominated the conversation with news of the things happening around the castle, things Arthur usually never noticed.

" … and of course with Martha busy with her sick child, Sybil is now ruling the kitchens."

"Isabella." Dinner was almost over and they still hadn't talked about what he wanted to talk about. "I need to ask you something."

Perhaps it was his tone but the smile on her face faded and she straightened up in her seat. "This is about the princess isn't it?"

He should have known how perceptive Isabella was. At least he didn't have to beat around the bush. "You told my father that she had an agreement with Cenred. How did you know?"

Isabella leaned back and folded her arms. "I was down in the dungeons – your father wanted me to talk to one of the maids we captured – when I heard two of Cenred's men talk about how victory would soon be theirs because of Acirith's cooperation. Do you think I made it up?"

"No. No. I just … Guinevere just doesn't seem the type to do something like that. Is there a chance the man was lying to you?"

Her eyes narrowed. "What's with you and the princess? I thought it was just a marriage of convenience."

"It is. That's all it is. I just need to know what kind of person I am marrying."

"I don't know if the men were lying but it played out exactly as he said it would didn't it?" Her voice cold and brittle. "What happens to us? I never thought the king would make you marry the traitor."

"He has his reasons," Arthur muttered. Hope he never knew he had that the princess was not a traitor crumbled inside him.

"And us?"

"I hope we will continue to be friends. You have been a good friend, to me and to Camelot." He stood, wanting nothing more than to go back to his room to wallow.

"You like her," Isabella stated flatly as she stood up as well. "She betrayed Camelot, Arthur. She's a conniving, cunning person who doesn't care about you or your kingdom. Don't forget that."

"You don't need to worry about my relationship with her," he snapped, his anger at her words taking him by surprise. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have – look, Isabella. I know that this isn't what we both want but I don't have a choice."

"Am I to be your mistress?" She tilted her head up, but Arthur could see the hurt in her eyes.

Reaching out, he touched her cheek. "I think you're worth more than that, don't you?"

"Yes." She blinked, then looked away. "I think we've said all that needs to be said. Be careful with the princess."

"I'm sorry, Isabella," Arthur said again, before he walked out of her room, closing the door on that part of his life.

Of course Merlin was hovering outside.

"Heard everything did you?"

"I …"

"No. There's nothing left to say. We have to accept that Guinevere did what she did, as painful as that might be." Arthur shook his head when he realised he was really talking to himself. With Merlin's blind optimism that Guinevere had been framed, Arthur had allowed himself to believe, hope even, that maybe she was really that girl he had gotten to know out of Camelot.

But she wasn't and the hurt was almost physical.

At least Merlin looked almost as miserable as him.

* * *

><p>Before the wedding, the king had summoned her before him and warned her to play the part of blushing bride, suggesting that her father would be horrified to learn of her dishonourable actions. The shock might even incapacitate him further. Guinevere supposed that she should be grateful that her father had not been told of the accusations against her but she couldn't muster up any positive feelings for the King.<p>

She practiced her smile in the mirror.

* * *

><p>"Guinevere, I am so sorry for putting you in this position." Her father's voice was a weak rasp and his hand limply grasped hers.<p>

"No. Arthur, he's a good man. It will not be a hardship to marry him." She stroked her father's hand and smiled the way she did in the mirror that morning.

"Do you think you can you love him?"

Guinevere paused, taking in the concern and worry in her father's eyes. Had he more strength, he would probably have held her hands tighter.

"Yes," she whispered, her lips trembling slightly as she realised that it was true. It would be too easy to love him but he would never care for her, not when he believed she had betrayed Camelot.

Her father's eyes closed and peace filled his face. "Good. I want you to be happy."

She sat beside the bed till her father slipped into sleep. Merlin had told her regretfully that he didn't have much longer. Soon she would be all alone in the world, tied forever to a family who hated her.

"Princess? You need to return to your room." Nodding at the guard, she pressed a kiss to her sleeping father's forehead and left the room.

* * *

><p>When she was about eleven years old, her maid had gotten married. She still remembered how excited Beatrice was. It was the best day of her life. Beatrice had told her, face flushed with happiness, eyes twinkling with good humour. You never forget your wedding she was told.<p>

As Mary pulled out the multitude of pins in her hair, Guinevere stared at herself in the mirror. She was not flushed with happiness, her eyes were not twinkling and to be honest, she could barely remember anything that happened. There was a vague memory of Arthur taking her hands, her saying "I do" and the perfunctory kiss pressed on lips. Then everyone was cheering and clapping and she put on her practised smile as she allowed Arthur to lead her through the excited crowd. The moment they were alone, he dropped her arm and walked away without a backward glance. Merlin smiled sadly at her before trotting after the prince.

And now, it was their wedding night and Mary was all aflutter preparing her for it, fussing over her night dress and her hair.

"You are gorgeous. The prince wouldn't be able to resist you," giggled Mary as she gave Guinevere's hair one last comb. "Shall I inform Merlin you are ready?"

She wanted to say no but she knew that would arouse suspicions. "Yes. Thank you."

As Mary disappeared through the door, Guinevere took a deep breath. What would Arthur expect from her? She knew that eventually they would be expected to produce an heir. Her nerves in a knot, she waited for her new husband.

It seemed forever before the knock came. Although she had been anticipating it, the rap on the wood still startled her and she scrambled from her seat in front of the mirror and positioned herself in front of the windows, as far from the door as possible.

"Princess."

Her mouth fell open but she found herself unable to produce any sound. Instinctively, she moved closer to the window. He looked as uncomfortable as she felt, his eyes upon the floor.

He moved slowly towards her. "I'm not going to hurt you." His voice was strained but he raised his eyes to look at her. "We don't have to do anything."

"Alright," she breathed, relaxing slightly.

Silence filled the room and she tried to think of something neutral to say. She suspected Arthur was struggling to think of the same.

"How are your sewing skills, Guinevere?" Arthur asked suddenly, after several long minutes of awkward silence.

Relieved at his choice of topic, she nodded. "They are passable."

He smiled slightly and settled himself on one of the chairs in the room. "Well then, hopefully you can teach Merlin a thing or two. Look at the mess he made with my shirt. Not that he's a particularly good student - you might find that he'll be a trying one. Stubborn and all thumbs."

"He's a fine manservant. He's very loyal to you." It seemed only right to stop hovering near the windows and sit on a chair near him.

This elicited a slight laugh from Arthur. "That may be so but don't tell him I think that."

"Why ever not? All you do is reprimand and mock him."

"I'm not that bad." A slight pout formed on Arthur's face although laughter remained in his eyes.

"No, no. You're not. You're a good man Arthur and I suppose if I had to marry anyone, I could do a lot worse."

"You could." He laughed bitterly. "You might have had to marry my father."

Guinevere shuddered at the thought. "That would have been a nightmare."

"It would have been." His blue eyes were locked on hers and for some reason, he seemed to have moved closer to her. When his warm hand slipped over hers on the table and his head dipped, she closed her eyes. The kiss was barely a brush and she must have grumbled because Arthur chuckled and pressed a longer, deeper kiss on her. Only their lips and hands were touching but she felt her whole body tingle with expectation.

Eventually the kiss ended and he lifted his hand from hers and cupped her face, his eyes gentle, his thumb tracing her bottom lip. "Tell me why you did it. I need to understand."

"I didn't ..."

"No. Don't lie to me." His hand dropped and he sighed. "Guinevere. I have been thinking about this over the past few days. You must have had a good reason to do this. Maybe you were under a lot of stress. Maybe your council forced your hand. Maybe you had no faith in me. They don't make it right but at least it'll help me understand."

"There is nothing to understand! I didn't betray Camelot!" Pushing her chair back, she stood, annoyance building in her. "What is so difficult to understand about that?"

"What are you still hiding Guinevere? Why are you still lying?" Impatience coloured Arthur's voice as he got up and stood in front of her.

"Listen to me. I am not lying. I did not betray Camelot." Her pounding heart was no longer due to her desire for Arthur, but anger that was coursing through her veins.

"How do I learn to trust you if you keep lying? You're my wife now for goodness sake! At least be truthful to me."

"I am being truthful."

"Does it make you feel better to cling to this lie?" he growled.

When she realised that nothing she said would make him believe her, she said nothing, staring defiantly at him instead. In the face of her silence, he shook his head, sighed and returned to his seat. She retreated to the window and stared out of it.

For the next few hours, until it was deemed suitable for Arthur to leave her room, they waited in tense silence.

He left without a word.

She didn't sleep a wink.

* * *

><p>AN: Once again, thank you for the comments and feedback. :)<p> 


	10. Moving Forward

The days after the wedding took on a comforting, if lonely, rhythm. She spent the mornings with her ailing father, sometimes taking him out to the royal gardens for walks. He was getting weaker and despite Gaius and Merlin's best efforts, Gwen had made peace with the idea that her father didn't have much time left. All she wanted was for him to live out his last days comfortably and happily. Occasionally, Arthur would make an appearance in the mornings, and they would play the part of happy newlyweds. Then he'd touch her gently, put an arm around her shoulders and sometimes brush his lips across her cheek. Gwen supposed Arthur didn't have to, but when she asked, he'd looked at her, then agreed.

She often dined alone during lunch, although Merlin joined her when he could. They never spoke of Arthur or of her 'betrayal', preferring to keep things light between them. Merlin talked about his village in Ealdor and Gwen spoke of her kingdom. Her afternoons were spent learning about Camelot – how the royal household was run, the relations between Camelot and the other kingdoms – everything that she would need to know to run the kingdom. Sometimes, she ventured out of the castle to look at the lands she was now princess of. It was flattering how much people seemed to love her, despite barely knowing her and she realised just how loved the Pendragons were.

Nights were when she spent time with Arthur, looking through various petitions. By unspoken agreement, they never mentioned the 'betrayal' and it was easy to forget that Arthur thought her a traitor he couldn't trust. Perhaps it was because the marriage was now final and they were going to have to find a way to live together for the rest of their lives, but they both tried very hard to keep things if not positive, at least bearable.

* * *

><p>"And so Lord Walter thinks that he should be entitled to more rations," muttered Arthur as he shifted through the various petitions. Lord Walter was being a pain recently, sending in countless petitions.<p>

"Because Sir Percival is from his village?" Guinevere frowned from across the table. "Everyone is suffering through this drought together and it's not like our rations are unlimited."

"He thinks that because Sir Percival won this year's knights' tournament that his village should be given special consideration. I should have taken part in the tournament then this wouldn't be a problem because I would have won."

Guinevere smiled but said nothing, her attention on the petition in front of her. As princess, she took over Morgana's duties, mainly those relating to the running of the castle and matters of the outlying towns and villages while Arthur focused on working with the knights and shadowing his father in the council chambers. Her experience in Acirith meant she needed little help getting up to speed and he found that he actually enjoyed having someone else beside a disagreeable Morgana, foolish Merlin or suspicious father to discuss such matters of state with.

As the days passed, Arthur found it more and more difficult to remember that she was the untrustworthy princess who had easily betrayed Camelot. They never spoke of it again although his father took great pains to remind him of her transgression. The hole in their lives left by Morgana was another reminder of all Guinevere had done to them. Yet he could not deny that she took on all her responsibilities seriously. She even managed to charm most of those who lived in the upper and middle town with her frequent visits and chats, something Morgana often felt was unneeded.

"What will you tell Lord Walter?"

"No. His village is no more special than anyone else's." He dropped the petition he was holding and leaned back and watched her reaction.

"He will not be pleased. You know this isn't the first petition of his you've turn down." Guinevere said mildly as she continued to sort the petitions in front of her. "Maybe on our way to Acirith tomorrow, we can stop by his village and you can give them a small gift of extra rations."

"That's not what he asked for."

"It's better than just sending the messenger round to deny yet another of his petitions. At least, he will feel that you care enough to personally take care of the matter. It might soothe his ego and appease him for now."

He couldn't help the smile that crossed his face.

"What?" She looked up curiously. "Why do you look so pleased?"

"You're quite good at this ruling thing."

"I was born a princess," she teased gently.

"A very smart princess too." Arthur left his seat and crossed over to her. Staring at her upturned face and the slight smile on it, he felt his heart contract. It would be so easy to love her. Without the cloud of her betrayal, he suspected he would have by now. Unthinkingly, he reached out a hand and brushed a lock of her hair from her face.

"It's getting late. We have an early morning tomorrow," she said, even as her own eyes widened and she leaned towards him.

"We can't keep this up forever Guinevere. I can't keep coming into your room every night and just go through paperwork." He tugged at her hand and pulled her out of her seat. "You yourself told me the servants are already talking about how I don't spend the night in your room. And soon, people will be pressuring us for an heir."

"I know."

He watched the uncertainty and fear in her face and a sense of protectiveness fill him. He had no desire to force her into anything she didn't want but everyone was expecting an heir from them. The pressure would only become worse as more time passed.

Slipping his arms around her waist, he gently pulled her closer to him. When she came to him willingly, he kissed her, deepening it when her arms curled around his neck. She tasted of sweetness and light and he couldn't get enough. Releasing her lips, he dipped his head to press kisses down her neck, a smile breaking out when he felt her shudder.

"Arthur," she gasped.

"Guinevere," he murmured against her shoulder. She dragged her palms down his chest and he tensed. When her fingers tentatively played with the edges of his shirt, he lifted his head and caught her hands in his. "Are you sure? We can probably delay things a little while more."

She swallowed and nodded, leaning into him slightly. Letting her hands go, he gathered her to him, kissing her slowly. Her hands slipped under his shirt, tracing patterns on his skin and he sucked in a breath, holding it as she explored. It was blissful torture, feeling her skin on his. Slowly, he moved his hands up along her sides until he reached the swell of her breasts. He brushed his knuckles against them, smiling as she moaned into his mouth. Tearing his mouth from hers, he looked down at her. Her eyes were closed, her chest heaving as she took small, quick breaths and her mouth was slightly open. Arthur thought he had never been more aroused in his life, never wanted anyone as much as he wanted her.

Her eyes fluttered open and she wonderingly traced the sides of his face before reaching up to kiss his jaw. Against him, she murmured his name and pressed her body against him. Chuckling at her sudden boldness, he picked her up and deposited her on her bed, watching with growing desire at how her hair spread against the sheets, how pliant she seemed, the soft, sensual smile across her face and hooded eyes that beckoned him.

He breathed her name and slid into the bed with her.

* * *

><p>She drifted in and out of sleep throughout the night, her feelings all over the place. In the end, the experience was a lot more pleasant than she had been led to believe by some but there hadn't been exploding stars or shaking earth as Beatrice had gushed about. Arthur had been incredibly gentle and slow with her, for which she was very grateful. Initially, it worried her that her inexperience might have disappointed him but now, she suspected he was as inexperienced as her. Still, lying in bed with Arthur's arm curled around her and his snores tickling the back of her neck, she felt a strange sense of peace and satisfaction, so much so that even during her waking moments during the night, she was reluctant to move.<p>

The sun peeked through her curtains, reminding her that she needed to get up. They had planned a visit to Acirith to formally introduce Arthur to her council, make arrangements to bring Acirith under Camelot rule and to bring her father back to his kingdom. He had little time left and she wanted him to spend his last days on his own lands. Slowly, she eased herself from Arthur's arms and slipped out of the bed, quickly pulling on her shift. He muttered something but didn't wake.

As she slipped on her clothes, she wondered how he would take her request to allow Acirith autonomy from Camelot. She knew King Uther expected Arthur to subsume Acirith into Camelot but she was hoping that he could be persuaded to allow Acirith to be part of Camelot yet be governed separately, to allow her to have the final say over everything to do with her kingdom. She had already given up so much of herself to Camelot.

A light knock warned her of company.

"My eyes are closed!" Merlin said almost laughingly as he opened the door a crack. "The King wants to see Arthur before you leave today. Is he still sleeping?"

Ensuring she was decent, she yanked the door open and found herself face to face with an incredibly pleased looking Merlin.

"So," he grinned impishly, "had a good night?"

She could feel the heat in her cheeks. "Where's Mary?"

"Waiting for you over there. She didn't want to disturb you. I'll just go deal with Arthur now. I bet he's in a good mood."


	11. Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

Guinevere hovered next to her father as they waited for Arthur. The prospect of returning to Acirith had perked him up and he was looking better than he had in a while. They were already an hour behind time and Arthur's meeting with the King was not helping. Waiting in the courtyard, her mind kept drifting to the events of the previous night - Arthur slowly divesting her of her clothes and pressing hot kisses against her skin as he moved lower, her shyly removing his breeches with him whispering encouragement in her ears ...

Shaking her head, she looked around, trying to dislodge the images from her head. As she scanned the courtyard, she noticed Isabella walking towards her. Nerves rose in her immediately. She had managed to avoid Isabella since her marriage to Arthur. Now that Isabella was walking towards her, she contemplated her choices. It would probably be too obvious and childish for her to suddenly hide or run away, which left waiting for Isabella for walk by.

"Lady Isabella," Guinevere said as Isabella came closer, flashing as sincere a smile as possible.

"Your highness." The tone left no question as to how Isabella felt about her.

She supposed it was as good a time as any. It was a conversation she'd planned many times in her head, but never had. "Isabella, can I have a word?"

Isabella stopped but said nothing, her eyes on the ground between them. Gwen wasn't sure if that was an expression of respect or anger.

"I know that I am probably not your favourite person here but I hope that we can get along. You are the daughter of Lord Gregory who has great influence in the council. It is to everyone's advantage we learn to get along."

Isabella's head shot up, her eyes cold. "Had you not turned up here grovelling for help, I would be queen. And now, like my father so nicely puts it, I have squandered my potential and am of no value. So forgive me, your highness, if I don't think we are going to be friends."

As Guinevere stood there watching Isabella walk regally away, guilt washed over her. It never occurred to her just how much impact her marriage to Arthur had on Isabella. She had assumed, foolishly and naively, that it would merely be a broken heart, something she would easily get over with time.

"Arthur!"

"Isabella." Arthur inclined his head, then walked towards them. "How have you been?"

Immediately, Isabella brightened up, a smile spreading across her face.

Suddenly, as Gwen watched the two of them exchange words, the guilt morphed into something even more uncomfortable. Arthur must have read her mind, because he shifted closer to her, slipped his arm around her waist and placed a hand lightly on her hip. The conversation was simply an exchange of pleasantries, nothing more.

"Thank you for looking after the castle matters when we're gone," said Arthur as their conversation winded down.

When Isabella finally took her leave, Arthur called for the horses to be brought to them. Unlike the last time they went to Acirith, it was Arthur who helped her onto her horse. Merlin rode with her father and once they were comfortably settled, they set off for Acirith.

* * *

><p>As the sun sank lower in the sky, Arthur gave instructions to set up camp. Watching one of the men help her father into bed, she wondered if Arthur would expect her to spend the night with him or if she would stay in the bed prepared for her in her father's tent. It was with a thankful heart that she noted that her father's health seemed stable and that he was coherent enough for them to have a short conversation before he slept.<p>

"Guinevere." She had been dozing off in a chair next to where her father slept when she heard Arthur call her name.

"Arthur." Blinking, she stood and walked over to the tent's entrance, where he stood.

He smiled, then touched her cheek. "Stay the night in my tent?"

When she nodded, he took her hand gently and led her out. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach and she wondered if they would repeat the activities of the previous night, unsure if she wanted to or not. She had enjoyed the sex but she wasn't naïve enough to think that it meant anything more than them trying for a child. While they may not have spoken about it since the wedding, but Gwen was still acutely aware that Arthur still thought of her as untrustworthy. Without trust, whatever relationship they manage to build would be as fragile as a spider web in the wind.

Nervously, she perched on the side of his bed as he undressed. He was quiet and she sensed that something was bothering him.

"Is everything fine?" She felt him sit on the other side of the bed and turned to him.

Arthur reached for her and she lay down next to him. Pulling her into his embrace, she felt him press a kiss against her hair.

"Go to sleep. We have another two long days of journeying."

It was the same the next night. Arthur would ask her to sleep in his bed but aside from holding her as they slept, they did nothing. He refused to speak of what was bothering him when she asked and despite the pleasure she took from sleeping next to him, his preoccupation and distance troubled her. What had transpired between his father and him?

* * *

><p>Unsurprisingly, Lancelot was waiting with the rest of the Acirith knights to greet them. Helping Guinevere off her horse, Arthur immediately slipped his arm around her waist. When Lancelot bent and kissed her hand, he tightened his grip on her.<p>

She gave him a dirty look before pulling away to help with her father.

"Welcome back Sire," Lancelot bowed, no anger or resentment in his voice. He was a better man than him, thought Arthur. "Shall I show you and Merlin to your rooms before we meet the council? You might want to get ready because the council is not happy."

"And you?"

"I just want peace for Acirith and for Gwen to be happy." Lancelot looked at him meaningfully. "I hope she is happy."

"You should ask her," he muttered, wondering what her answer would be. He supposed he hoped she was happy. It was undeniable that over the past week, he had developed a lot of affection for her - seeing her almost always made him smile and he enjoyed talking to her, whether about crops levels, policies or his childhood. Yet, as his father quite bluntly reminded him before they left for Acirith, she could not and should not be trusted. The situation was tearing him apart. He wished she would at least admit what she did. Perhaps then they could work through her betrayal but she wouldn't. And that hurt more than he would admit because it meant she didn't care much about their relationship.

Unable to help himself, he asked as they followed Lancelot to their rooms, "You've known Guinevere for a long time. Why would she do what she did?"

"I've asked myself that question many times, Sire."

"And?" Merlin suddenly inserted himself into the conversation.

"I don't think she did it. I don't have an explanation for what happened but Gwen would never do anything like this. It is not her. She's the most upstanding person I know."

"My point exactly." Merlin looked knowingly at Arthur. "Gwen just wouldn't do anything like that."

"Shut up Merlin. I'm sorry you think that way Lancelot but all the evidence points to Guinevere double crossing us." While his voice was certain, his heart was less so.

* * *

><p>Just as they were about to meet with the council, Guinevere stopped him.<p>

"Arthur, I would like to discuss something."

"Now?"

"Yes, please. I want to ask that you allow Acirith to maintain her independence. I want to have overall control of the kingdom, especially for her internal affairs."

He frowned. "Are you concerned that Camelot will treat Acirith unfairly?"

"We will still answer to Camelot and take direction from King Uther but we want to be able to make decisions for Acirith on our own." Her head lifted and Arthur recognised the look that was on her face.

"Guinevere, my father –"

"Your father is not here! You can make the decisions. How many times have you said you are not your father?" Her hand was on his chest, her eyes full of fire.

Arthur closed his eyes and sighed inwardly. His father would not be happy. "Let's discuss this with your council."

Thanks to Lancelot's warning, Arthur was prepared for the hostility of the council. It wasn't easy the last time and they were even more difficult this time. Unlike Lancelot and Merlin, they had no doubts that Guinevere had gone behind everyone's back and very obviously made their contempt and their anger known. As usual, she denied everything and he felt the resentment building in him again.

"We told her not to agree to work with Cenred, but she's stubborn."

Arthur felt Guinevere tense in the seat beside him. "You know I did not sign any agreement to betray Camelot," she bit out.

Lord Damian laughed coldly. "How do we know you didn't go behind out backs and do it, the same way you went behind our back into this arrangement with Camelot?"

A chorus of agreement broke out around them. Arthur looked at Guinevere whose face was strained but what struck him the most was the hurt in her eyes.

"Everything Guinevere did, she did for the good of Acirith. I don't care if you all disagree with her, she's been nothing but loyal to your kingdom." Arthur's temper was fraying and he wanted nothing better than to throw the whole council in the dungeons. "If I can move on from what Guinevere did, you can too. We are here today to discuss how best to integrate Acirith into Camelot. Let's just focus on that."

* * *

><p>Guinevere had a separate room in the castle and he wondered if she would come to his. It was late and she still hadn't turned up. He knew he would miss having her next to him in bed if she didn't but he didn't feel like asking her over. The council had reminded him of her actions and he couldn't seem to ignore the bitterness in him.<p>

And yet, after he had resigned himself to the fact that she was unlikely to come over, when he heard the knock on his door and her voice calling his name, he couldn't open the door fast enough. She smiled shyly at him and the bitterness faded away. Maybe, just maybe, Lancelot and Merlin were right.

Taking her hand, Arthur pulled her to him before crushing his mouth to hers.

Practice made perfect, he mused to himself much later as he stroked her hip in the aftermath and nuzzled her neck. This time, it was even better, mainly because she seemed less nervous and when she finally came, she had cried his name, something that pleased him very much.

She sighed against him. "Thank you for acceding to my request to grant Acirith autonomy."

"Mmm. It was important to you and you did put forward a very good argument. If you think Lancelot is able to run Acirith while you're in Camelot, then I have no problem with him running it the way he and you deem fit."

Her finger ran across his bare chest, followed by her lips. "Thank you."

"Why is your council so difficult?" Arthur shifted so he was sitting, then pulled Guinevere to him, slipping his arm around her shoulder. She snuggled into him and he couldn't resist kissing the top of her head.

"They think I'm not good enough to rule. I'm a girl. I should just listen to what they say."

He chuckled. "So they were hoping to be able to control you and they couldn't. I'm glad."

She looked up at him. "I can be very opinionated."

"I find myself enjoying opinionated princesses very much."

It was her turn to laugh.

"You should kick them all out of the council. Especially that Lord Damian." said Arthur. "You are the princess."

"I should, shouldn't I?" She yawned and curled closer to him.

Arthur tugged the blankets around them, closed his eyes then fell asleep wrapped around Guinevere.

* * *

><p>As much as she enjoyed being back in Acirith, something felt wrong. Ever since she arrived, she had the odd sensation of being followed but whenever she turned around, there was no one. She had mentioned it to both Merlin and Lancelot and they had both assured her that it was likely her imagination.<p>

Her father had settled back home quite comfortably and with his usual nurse looking after him, she felt a lot better. As usual, she tried to spend as much time as possible with him, assuring him that she was happy and that Acirith was doing well. She also managed to spend time with Lancelot who told her that while he was disappointed with how things turned out, he understood and hoped she was happy.

And for most part, she was.

This scared her because she knew that a large part of her happiness was tied up with the man she married, the same man who believed her to be completely untrustworthy. Yet she couldn't help the way her heart jumped when he smiled at her or the way her day brightened when he insisted she keep him company. When, after much argument, he agreed to allow Lancelot to rule Acirith as he saw fit, she knew Arthur had managed to steal a small bit of her heart.

It was a good thing she wasn't in love with him.

* * *

><p>"Maybe you have a secret admirer," said Merlin, when she told him about being followed. "I wouldn't be surprised."<p>

Arthur and Lancelot were off working with the Acirith knights, so she and Merlin had decided to take a picnic in the gardens. The weather was lovely, the sun shining down on them and the kitchens had prepared a generous, delicious basket for them. They had passed the knights' training ground on their way to the gardens and Arthur had rolled his eyes at Merlin. Then, he smiled warmly at her, making her insides tingle.

"You like Arthur, don't you? I mean, he's a little insensitive, often too proud but he is a good man. Much better than his father."

"He still thinks I betrayed Camelot." She popped a grape into her mouth and turned away, not wanting Merlin to see how much that still upset her.

"How is your father?"

"There's been no change really. He perked up a bit when we first arrived but now, he's just as weak. I just want his last days to be comfortable. Wait -"

"What?"

"Hush," she whispered, "there's someone behind that pillar. I've seen him before. He must be the one following me!"

"You keep eating and I'll deal with this," muttered Merlin as he stood. In a louder voice, he said, "I'll see you around Princess."

Telling herself not to look back, she continued eating, hoping that Merlin would be able to grab that man. Why would anyone be interested in following her?

There was a commotion and she turned around to see Merlin and the man wrestling on the ground.

Jumping to her feet, she rushed over but not before a couple of her guards got there and separated the two.

"Let Merlin go and bring the other man to the throne room. Go and get Prince Arthur as well, please."

On one hand, she was very relieved that she hadn't been imagining things but on the other hand, she wondered why she was being followed.

In the throne room, Guinevere studied the man. He wasn't anyone she recognised. Coldly, she said, "You were following me."

"Yes, your highness."

"Why?"

"I was ordered to. To keep an eye on you."

"By who?" She repeated her question louder and angrier when the man failed to answer.

The doors to the throne room opened and Arthur walked in. Maybe he would be able to get some answers. She didn't think he would be pleased to find out she was being followed.

"Who ordered you to follow me?" she asked angrily.

"I did."

She looked at Arthur in disbelief.

"You had me followed?"

Arthur looked away from her. "Yes. I needed to -"

"- keep an eye on me? In case I went behind your back and made more agreements with Cenred? In case I went back to my untrustworthy ways?"

She could actually feel her heart breaking.

"Guinevere -"

"No. Don't say anything. I know. I can't be trusted. I forgot you didn't trust me."

WIth as much dignity as she could muster, she walked towards the door, past Arthur and out of the throne room.

He didn't follow her.

She kept walking, her sight blurred with tears, until she couldn't walk anymore. Slumping onto a bench against the castle walls, she buried her head in her hands, angry that this hurt so much.

"Your highness?"

She looked up to see one of her guards hovering a distance away. Wiping away the tears, she stood. Had Arthur asked him to bring her back? Maybe he wanted to explain, to apologise.

"Your highness, you have a visitor."

"Who?"

"Your brother, Prince Elyan. He is in your room, waiting for you."

* * *

><p>AN: Thank you for the comments! They make me happy. Also, don't hate Arthur too much. :D<p> 


	12. Loyalty and Family

Against his better judgement, he left Guinevere alone with her brother in the throne room. The hurt and disappointment in her eyes as she walked out of the throne room was something he would never forget. That he was the one who put it there made it even worse.

"Why did you do it?" Merlin asked angrily, stalking at his side.

"Because she cannot be trusted. Have you forgotten what she did?"

"She didn't betray Camelot. I don't care what evidence you have. Gwen would never do anything like this! You know this!"

Pain coursed through him as he remembered the look she had given him in the throne room. He stopped walking and bit out, "I didn't want to do this. My father insisted that someone be assigned to tail her. He was worried she might plan something here. So I did what he asked. Now leave me alone."

"You need to stop listening to your father!"

"And you need to shut up." He didn't need Merlin telling him all this. He already felt sick that he'd allowed Guinevere to be tailed. Later, after she finished talking to her brother, he would go to her, apologise, grovel even. It didn't matter whether she betrayed Camelot or not all those weeks ago. Things were different now.

The moment he got to his room, worry ate at him. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to leave Guinevere alone with her brother. During one of their many conversations, she had spoken of how Elyan was constantly getting into trouble and expecting her or her father to bail him out. He started to worry that Elyan was back and wanting Guinevere to solve some other problem for him. It might be easier for her if he could help. Or at least be there to support her. She probably wouldn't want him there but that didn't mean he shouldn't be.

* * *

><p>"You are asking me to pass you the plans for the secret underground passages of Camelot?" Guinevere's voice floated through the not fully closed doors.<p>

"Morgause tells me you aided them once before. Just do it again and this time, they will be able to conquer Camelot. I need you to help me Gwen. Morgause will kill me if I don't produce the plans."

Their voices drifted through the door and Arthur hesitated, dying to hear what her response would be.

"Elyan -"

"Please Gwen. It's just the plans. You can stay in Acirith and out of the war. And if Arthur dies, you can end this sham of a marriage. It's not like you love him or want to stay with him."

"No. No I don't."

Her words were like arrows to his heart. It was one thing to tell himself Guinevere didn't love him. It was another to hear her confirm it. Elyan was right. Their marriage was a sham, no matter how many nights he lay with her in his arms and imagined that it wasn't. A real marriage had love and trust. Their marriage had neither.

* * *

><p>"Merlin!" he yelled when he reached his room. "Merlin!"<p>

"What is it now? I thought you were with Gwen. Have you hurt her again?"

He ignored Merlin's impertinence, the echo of Gwen saying that she didn't care for him still in his mind. "Pack my things. We are going back to Camelot."

"What about Gwen?"

"She's staying here. I've spoken to Lancelot. He'll tell her."

"You're leaving for Camelot without even telling her? I thought you liked her. So what if she betrayed Camelot? She's been nothing but good to you since. Don't you think she -"

Tossing his coat onto the bed, he turned angrily to Merlin. "I don't want to talk about her. We are leaving for Camelot as soon as we can."

Within the hour, he and his knights rode out of Acirith. Guinevere was still in the throne room with her brother and he was quite sure she had no idea of them leaving. Merlin refused to talk to him and frankly, he wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone, preferring to brood over Guinevere instead. Had she decided to do as her brother asked? Was she scheming with him to betray Camelot once again? How could she be both this scheming, disloyal person and yet be the warm, kind and loving person he had seen over the past weeks of their marriage? Why did everything hurt so much?

* * *

><p>"Where's Arthur?" Panic rose in Guinevere when she realised that his room was completely empty.<p>

"He's gone back to Camelot," Lancelot said apologetically to her.

"When? Why? Was there an emergency?"

"He didn't say. He wants you to stay in Acirith. He said he will send for you when he's ready. I'm sorry Gwen."

She felt the tears gathering again. "Was he angry when he left?"

"Gwen. I'm not saying this because I'm jealous or angry with what happened between us." Lancelot took her hands in his. "But Gwen, you can't let yourself care so much about the Prince. He's a good man, yes. But he doesn't trust you and he will never trust you. You can't build a relationship on that and all he is going to do is hurt you and I don't want to see you hurt."

The panic she felt turned into anger. How dare Arthur run away when his continued distrust for her was discovered? What kind of coward was he that he couldn't stay to work this out?

"Oh Gwen." Tentatively Lancelot put his arms around her and she buried her face in his chest. "I'm so sorry you're in this situation."

"No. It's my fault. You're right. Arthur may be a good man but he can't be the kind of husband I want or need."

She sat with Lancelot on the steps of the courtyard, her head resting on his shoulder and for a moment, she wished that she had never met Arthur and never asked Camelot for help.

"I need to go to Camelot. Can you help me arrange it?"

"Gwen, you shouldn't -"

"It has nothing to do with my marriage. It's about Elyan. I need to ask Arthur to protect him. He's gotten himself into trouble with that Morgause person and she wants him to use me to get the plans for Camelot's defenses."

"Surely you aren't -"

She glared up at Lancelot. She didn't need another person questioning her trustworthiness. "No! I am not going to steal the plans. I'm going to tell Arthur and hope that he will afford Elyan some sort of protection."

"I'll go with you. I don't want you to meet Arthur on your own."

"You can't. You need to be here to run Acirith and my father is here. I'll go with some of the knights. I'll be fine. Merlin will be there. I'll at least have a friend there."

* * *

><p>The journey back to Camelot was a tense one. Elyan wasn't good company and she was preoccupied with worrying about him and thinking about Arthur. The three day trip seemed to take forever and despite her misgivings, she was pleased to finally see the turrets of Camelot's castle rising in front of her. With no one expecting her arrival, there was no welcoming party and it was left to the few guards on duty at the courtyard to help take the horses away and alert the Prince to her arrival.<p>

He was not happy.

"What are you doing here? And why have you brought your brother?"

"Can we talk in private?"

"Fine. Merlin, show Prince Elyan to a guest room. Post two guards on him. Let's go to my room." Without checking that she was following, he walked off, leaving her to scurry after him.

"Are you here to steal the castle defense plans?" The moment he closed the door to his room, he turned on her, tension in his whole body.

She pushed down the anger that was sparked by his accusation. "How did you know about that?"

"I heard you speaking to your brother. I admit I didn't think you would do it but I was wrong. Look at how quickly you returned to Camelot to get your hands on the plans. What was the deal this time?"

Suddenly, she felt completely defeated and her anger slowly petered out. She could tell Arthur that she was innocent till her last breath and he would never believe her.

She lifted her head, refusing to let Arthur see how much pain he was causing her. "I came to beg you to give my brother protection. He only came to me to ask me to steal the plans because Morgause, I believe she is the female knight who led the charge on Camelot, has threatened to kill him and attack Acirith if he didn't."

Arthur turned away to stare out of his window. "Why should I care what happens to your brother or to Acirith?"

"You cared four days ago when you granted Acirith autonomy. What changed? Why are you so angry with me? What did I do?" Guinevere took a step towards him.

"You know what you did."

"No I don't. Because in the weeks that we've been married, I've done my best to be a good wife to you, to be a good princess for Camelot. But I know now that no matter what I do or say, you are always going to think that I'm someone who would easily betray you." She sucked in a breath and blinked away the tears that stung the back of her eyes. "It doesn't matter anymore. You can have a whole posse of people follow my every move if you want. I have nothing to hide. I just have one favour to ask of you and I promise, I'll never ask you for anything else."

She didn't know what she expected but Arthur turned around, his eyes a lot softer than she expected. A tiny vestige of hope blossomed in her.

"Please keep my brother safe. Now that you know of Morgause's plans, she is bound to look for my brother and invade Acirith for revenge. That's all I want. My father is dying. I don't want to lose my brother as well."

When he said nothing, she sank to her knees. "Please, I beg you. Acirith does not have the resources you do and if Morgause attacks us, Acirith will fall."

He stayed quiet, staring at her. She couldn't read the expression on his face.

"Get up. Don't ever kneel in front of me again. You are a princess, for goodness sake." He waited till she stood before he continued, running his hand through his hair. "Maybe I am a fool when it comes to you but yes, I will shelter your brother and I will send men to Acirith in case of an attack. If your brother is right and Morgause is planning something, we will need to start preparing for yet another war."

"Thank you, my lord."

That use of his title was yet another stab to his heart.


	13. Turning the Corner

"You return from Acirith, telling me that you've allowed them autonomy. And now, you're telling me that you've promised to protect Prince Elyan, who has managed to get himself involved with Cenred, and you want to send more knights to Acirith. If Acirith wants their autonomy, then they can deal with their own security."

Uther was less than impressed when Arthur arrived back in Camelot without Guinevere. Suffice to say, he was even less pleased with Arthur's decision to harbor Elyan within Camelot's borders.

"If Elyan has met Morgause, he could have valuable information," said Arthur as calmly as he could. His father had not stopped going on about Acirith's autonomy since his return. "And Acirith is autonomous, not independent. We are still responsible for their security."

"Then we'll just be prepared should Acirith fall." Uther continued to eat his dinner, seemingly unconcerned. "We'll shore up our defenses here."

His spoon clanked against his plate. "Father."

"Arthur –" Uther put his own spoon down, then he sighed. "You never used to be so difficult. Have you considered that this is another ploy by your wife to help Cenred?"

His fingernails dug into his palm and he swallowed his anger. "Firstly, Guinevere is smarter than to use the same tactic again. And secondly, Guinevere would never betray us."

"She did before."

"We don't know that she did. It might have been a misunderstanding." Arthur played his trump card. "Elyan might know how to find Morgause, and then we might be able to find Morgana."

For a while, Uther continued to chew his meat, saying nothing.

"Even if you don't allow our knights to Acirith, I will go alone."

"Marriage has changed you," said Uther, frustration underlying his tone. "Made you more headstrong. If I'd known - Alright. Send a unit of knights to Acirith. Interrogate the prince and see what he knows."

The rest of the night, he spent in his room, contemplating his wife. Both Merlin and Lancelot had been adamant about her innocence, even in face of the evidence. He knew too that had he not known of her betrayal before their marriage, he would never have thought her capable of something like that. In fact, he still had trouble relating the woman his father claimed tried to sell Camelot out and the woman he knew from his time with her.

Her words echoed in his mind. She had spoken the truth - she had been a good wife and an even better princess. Most people in the castle and the surrounding towns loved her. They would never believe she would turn against Camelot. Every time it came up, she would tell him that she never did betray Camelot. Her story never wavered. Why was he clinging so hard to his belief that she would betray Camelot?

At the back of his head, he knew why. Because he was afraid that, without that barrier, it would be far too easy to fall in love with her and he didn't want to love someone who didn't love him. The few days he'd been in Camelot without her, he'd missed her greatly and the way his heart had jumped when the guard had come running to tell him the princess was in Camelot made Arthur suspect that he was a lost cause.

He was looking at some maps when the knock came.

"Sire?" The title only served to highlight the distance between them.

"Yes, come in." Perhaps she was here to see if they could work things out. His heart lifted.

"I just wanted to tell you that I will leave for Acirith tomorrow morning. I understand you have made arrangements for Elyan to stay. Thank you. I think that it might be best if we had a bit of distance from each other. You can tell them I want to be with my father. I will return to Camelot regularly and we can," she paused and took a breath, "we can try for an heir then. Otherwise, I think there is no reason for us to stay in the same place."

This wasn't what he was expecting and he stood speechless. She curtsied and made to leave.

"Guinevere!" He took a step forward and reached for her.

She turned and waited. Her eyes gave nothing away.

"Who will handle the castle affairs?" He groaned internally - this wasn't what he wanted to say.

"Isabella is more than capable. And she would relish the opportunity." Her eyes met his. "And perhaps you can rekindle your relationship with her."

He flinched. "It would not look good if my wife does not stay with me."

"Are you telling me that I have to stay in Camelot with you?" She lifted her eyebrows, bemusement in her eyes.

"Please," he whispered, cupped her face and kissed her.

* * *

><p>It was foolish but she couldn't help herself. The moment Arthur kissed her, she melted into him, responding eagerly to his kiss. She missed this. Her hands reacquainted with the feel of his skin under his shirt, her tongue tangled with his. When he pulled at the ribbons on her dress, she answered by undoing the laces on his breeches. Within minutes, they were both naked and Arthur was manoeuvring her into his bed.<p>

She lay on her back and watched as he slowly lay beside her, his fingers tracing a line from her collarbone down to her hip. It was moments like this, when Arthur was so gentle and his face and eyes full of affection that encouraged her foolish hopes. One hand cupped her breast, slowly teasing her hardened nipple while the other slowly crept between her thighs. A moan was torn from her throat and she reached out to touch him, savouring the feel of him trembling under her hands. Allowing her hand to drift lower, she cupped his length, enjoying how it throbbed and imagining how it would feel in her.

He shifted closer so he could capture her other nipple in his mouth and she tangled her other hand in his hair, pressing him to her. Alternating between suckling and nipping her, he dipped two fingers into her slit, pumping in and out, while his thumb pressed against her clit. The hand that was stroking his length stopped and shuddering, she came, his name on her lips.

"I love it when you do that." She could feel him smile against her chest before he lifted his head to kiss her. "You are the most beautiful person," he murmured as he trailed kisses down her neck, her shoulders, and her chest. "Perfect."

She let his words warm her heart before it hit her that they were all lies - meaningless words he whispered only when he wanted to bed her. Outside of the bedroom, she wasn't beautiful, she wasn't perfect. No, she was a lying, scheming princess whom he couldn't trust.

And the tears came. Squeezing her eyes shut, she hoped he wouldn't notice but he did.

"Guinevere. Did I hurt you?" Slowly he pulled away from her before wiping the tears from her eyes. The worry in his voice, the gentleness of his touch only made her cry even more and she turned away.

"Hey, we don't have to do this," he said to her back.

She scrambled out of his bed, grabbing her clothes, trying to put them on unsuccessfully.

"Stop it Guinevere," Arthur pulled her to him, loosely holding her against him. "Tell me what is wrong?"

"Everything. Everything is wrong. My whole life. All I wanted was to rule Acirith well like my father did, marry someone who loves me and be happy. And I have managed to completely fail at all of them."

There was a pause before he blurted, "I love you, Guinevere."

For a brief moment, her heart soared at his words. Then reality hit her and she moved out of his embrace. "No, don't. Don't say this just because you want to sleep with me."

He blinked, uncertainty written all over his face and bitterness wrapped around her heart. More lies.

"I'm sorry. I can't stay here." She needed at least to get her slip on. Then she could probably make it to her room. Tomorrow morning, she'll leave Camelot.

"I'm not lying." Arthur grabbed her hands, tugging her gently so she toppled back on to the bed, next to him. "I love you. That day, we stood at the parapet and you smiled and told me about your lands – I was fascinated by you. And I've loved you for a while."

The ache in her heart was getting worse. She couldn't understand why Arthur would lie to her. "Why would you love someone you think betrayed your kingdom? You have no trust in me. You think the moment I get the chance, I'd betray you. That isn't love, Arthur."

"No, you're right. But I was lying to myself. I do trust you. If I didn't, would I have given Acirith autonomy? Would I have allowed you and Lancelot full control over your lands? Would I be harbouring your brother and sending men to Acirith? It was just easier to hold on to the idea that you weren't who you seemed to be, to think that you were untrustworthy, the enemy."

"Why?" She studied him, wanting desperately for him to be telling the truth. He had stopped looking at her and was lying back and staring at the ceiling. His face was tight with tension and he remained silent. She asked her question again.

"Because if I admitted to myself that I didn't believe you would betray anyone, then nothing was going to stop me from loving you. But it didn't work in the end because I love you and frankly, even if you confessed that you did indeed betray Camelot, I would still love you. But that's not going to happen because Lancelot and Merlin were right - you would never have done anything like this."

"You don't want to love me." She almost couldn't make sense of what was happening. Part of her was soaring - he didn't think she betrayed him and he loved her, but the other part of her held her back. He might claim to love her but it was obvious he didn't want to. Arthur was no longer touching her and she missed it.

"No, not really," he laughed bitterly. "Apparently it's not something you can help though. I know I've been awful to you, especially these past few days and I've refused to listen to you but please, stay in Camelot with me."

"You don't want to love me but you want me to stay in Camelot with you? A week ago you left me in Acirtih because you didn't want to be with me. And now you want me to stay? I don't understand. I don't want to play games with you."

"I left because I was a coward. But it was the wrong decision. Seeing you again made me realise that. I think about you whenever you're not with me. I think about your smile, your laugh, your patience and I know that you've been trying to make this marriage work. And then I see the sadness in your eyes sometimes and I know that you'll be happier in Acirith, with Lancelot. And if I didn't love you, it would be so much easier to let you stay in Acirith, to allow you your happiness because then it wouldn't hurt so much. You've said before that I'm selfish and I am. I want you with me and I wish I didn't because I know you'd rather be somewhere else." He kept his eyes on the ceiling but Guinevere could see his hands clenched into fists.

It was overwhelming. Her feelings were falling over each other in her heart. She had come into the room convinced that their marriage could not possibly work and now Arthur was standing in front of her telling her he loved her, trusted her and he wanted her by his side. She found it hard to believe, not after all that had transpired between them.

But perhaps she had to take a chance. Maybe they had a chance of working things out. And perhaps she could learn to trust and love him.

"I'll stay."

Finally, he turned his head to look at her. If she doubted his feelings for her, she didn't now. They were evident in his eyes and the smile on his face.

"Thank you." Lifting himself on his elbow, Arthur ran a finger across her cheek, then leaned over and kissed her.

* * *

><p>AN: Thanks for your comments! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. :)<p> 


	14. A Brief Respite

Waking, Arthur reached out an arm, feeling for Guinevere. When it was obvious she was no longer in his bed, he opened his eyes, hoping to see her somewhere in his room. But it was empty. Surely she hadn't returned to Acirith. As dread pooled in his stomach, he jumped out of bed and pulled on his coat.

"Merlin!"

Had she changed her mind in the middle of the night?

"Merlin!" His manservant was missing as well. Arthur stalked to the door and flung it open. "Merlin!" Where's Guinevere?"

Merlin came running down the corridor, stopping just in front of Arthur. Bent over, he huffed. "She's in her room. You probably scared her away with your snoring."

"Shut up. Has she had breakfast?"

"Mary is preparing her breakfast. I would have yours if you weren't yelling at me."

"I'll have breakfast with Guinevere." Tugging his coat tighter around him, Arthur made his way to Guinevere's room.

He knocked, his heart pounding as the fear that Guinevere had changed her mind wouldn't stop playing in his mind. He heard movement, then the door finally opened and Guinevere looked up at him. The smile on her face immediately put him at ease.

"Good morning," she said, pulling the door open, he assumed, as an invitation to enter.

Arthur took a step in and noticed that breakfast was already laid out on her table. "If you don't mind, I thought I would take breakfast with you."

Her eyebrows lifted, but she continued to smile. "Of course."

"If you're worried, I'd eat all your food, Merlin is bringing my breakfast over."

That made her laugh and Arthur couldn't stop the warmth that spread through him. He sat at the table, then gestured for her to sit next to him. She shook her head, a smile playing on her lips, then took a seat.

"Why didn't you stay the night?"

Her hand reached for a bread roll. "I did. I only came back here this morning." Amusement flickered in her eyes. "Did you miss me?"

"You know I did," he grumbled. He'd spent the whole of last night baring his heart to her and she still had to ask. Her only response was to smile at him. He suspected she was teasing him but he felt far too raw to respond appropriately. Instead, he frowned and slouched into his chair.

Just at that moment, Merlin walked in, carrying Arthur's breakfast. AA smirk was on his face although he kept his silence as he laid out Arthur's plate. Arthur felt even more annoyed when Merlin and Guinevere exchanged smiles.

"What are your plans today?" asked Guinevere a few minutes into the breakfast.

"I was hoping to be able to speak more to your brother."

"Ah." Guinevere put a piece of bread into her mouth.

Arthur looked at her. That single sound held a lot of meaning. "AYou two weren't close? You practically begged me to save him."

"I love him. He is family." She looked at the table and her finger made patterns on the rough wood. "But –"

Reaching out, he covered her hand with his. "But he's frustrating to deal with?"

She nodded with a sigh.

"Morgana is the same. I love her – she's like a sister to me – but she's so frustrating. She's constantly butting heads with father. I'm not saying that father is always right, but her way of confrontation doesn't achieve anything, except to anger him. Then, she leaves me to pick up the pieces."

"Elyan isn't confrontational. He's more likely to run away." Pushing her plate away, Guinevere sighed again. "He doesn't want to be king, so he disappeared. He only came back when he ran out of money. Then, when father became sick, he ran away again. Now, he's back. He expects me to be there for him. Yet he's never there when I need him."

He ran his thumb across the back of her hand. "We have each other now," he said quietly.

She turned her hand over, slipping her fingers between his. "I'd like that."

* * *

><p>Elyan was pacing when Guinevere entered his room. She tried to temper the instinctive resentment that rose in her. She loved Elyan but his refusal to take on his responsibilities had only made things more difficult for her and her father.<p>

"I thought you were leaving," he said petulantly. "Can't you get Camelot to remove the guards?"

"Don't you think that Camelot has a good reason to keep an eye on you?" Shutting the door, she turned to face him. "Arthur wants to speak with you."

"So Camelot is going to protect me?" He flung himself onto the bed. "That's the plan?"

"Yes. In exchange for information on Morgause." Guinevere settled herself on the bed next to him. "Arthur is going to come by in a while to talk to you."

Elyan nodded. "So, you're the princess of Camelot now. The largest kingdom in Albion. How does it feel?"

"Overwhelming sometimes. But I'm glad I managed to secure Acirith's defense."

"By selling yourself?"

Guinevere glared at him. "I had little choice, Elyan. You weren't around and father is very ill. With Camelot's protection, there's less to worry about. Besides, it's not that bad, being married to Arthur."

"That's not the impression I got in Acirith."

"We were having a bit of a quarrel then. We've sorted that out." Memories of her in bed with Arthur the night before as they sorted out their quarrel made heat rush to her cheeks and she turned away from Elyan. "What have you been up to in the last few months?"

Slowly, Elyan revealed how he'd been traveling, disguised as a mercenary. He talked of adventures and all the fascinating places he'd been to and it was hard for Guinevere not to feel a pang of jealousy. In her younger days, she'd wanted to see the world as well.

"And in which of these places did you meet Morgause?" Arthur stepped into the room, crossed his arms and leaned against the door frame.

Elyan hopped off the bed immediately. "Arthur. I hope that you've been taking care of my sister."

"For someone who's been gone for the past five months, you're hardly in the position to play big brother," huffed Guinevere as she stood as well. "I'm going to my room.

Arthur caught her arm as she brushed past him, tugging her so she stood in front of him. The lines of his face softened and he leaned down to kiss her. "Are you alright?"

She nodded. "I'll let you talk to Elyan in private."

"I'll see you later."

* * *

><p>She was mending some of Arthur's shirts – it was true that Merlin's sewing skills left much to be desired – when she heard footsteps, then Arthur's knock on her door. He didn't look particularly pleased when she opened it, and her heart sank.<p>

"What is it?"

"Your brother knows surprisingly little. Still, it is more than we had so I guess it isn't completely useless. He doesn't remember if Morgana was with Morgause."

Stepping towards him, she placed a hand on his arm. "How did he get tangled with Morgause?"

Arthur drew her closer, tucking her into a loose embrace. "By playing the hero in a small village that they were attacking. Ealdor."

"That's Merlin's village!"

"I know. I've already sent men out to see the damage. Your brother was living there for a while, then Morgause and her knights attacked. They knew who your brother was and captured him. And you know the rest of the story." She felt Arthur kiss the top of her head before stepping away.

"Did he say anything else?"

"He confirmed that Morgause has magic." Arthur rubbed his face. "I have no idea how we're going to go up against an enemy with magic, when we've banned it from out kingdom. Perhaps the only person with any clue how to deal with magic is Gaius."

Arthur was staring out of her window into the courtyard and Gwen went to stand next to him. The courtyard was bustling with activity. Life was going on as usual for all the people below and Guinevere envied them. Perhaps not knowing that war was looming was for the best. She felt Arthur slip her arm around her and she leaned into him.

"If they attacked Ealdor, but none of the other villages around, then there must be something in Ealdor."

Arthur nodded. "I can't imagine what."

"What will you do now?"

"I've sent men to Ealdor and to various other places Elyan mentioned they were at. Hopefully, we'll be able to find out what Cenred and Morgause are up to." He looked down at her. "There is already a unit of knights on their way to Acirith. Don't worry. Lancelot will be able to manage."

"Thank you," said Guinevere.

He cupped her face, his thumb rubbing across her cheek. "How do you feel about taking a break from all this war?"

Her curiosity piqued, she tilted her head. "What did you have in mind?"

* * *

><p>Guinevere learned to ride as soon as she could walk. Then, she had been told to always tie her hair up. Now, as she urged her horse forward, her untied hair whipped against her face. And while it obscured her vision at times, she loved the feeling of freedom it gave her.<p>

She also loved that she was ahead of Arthur.

It was a risk, but she turned back and stuck her tongue out at him. Just slightly behind her, she heard Arthur laugh, then yell at his horse to go faster.

"You cheated," she grumbled as Arthur helped her down from her horse. "If I had my horse –"

Arthur silenced her with a kiss. It was annoying how easily she succumbed to his touch but she twined her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss.

Merlin cleared his throat. "Shall I set up the picnic?"

With the stream bubbling next to them, birds chirping in the trees, the warm sun and a spread of delicious food, it was close to perfect. Her head was cradled in Arthur's lap, while Merlin sat by the side. She closed her eyes as Arthur and Merlin bantered about the merits of hunting – she didn't care either way – and let herself think about how different her life seemed now, from just a week ago when she was in Acirith and convinced that her marriage was in shambles.

She must have dozed off, because Arthur was caressing her cheek and calling her name.

"Tired? The horse riding must have exhausted you," he said, laughter in his voice.

Guinevere rolled her eyes and pushed herself off his lap. "I can beat you back to the castle."

* * *

><p>Morgause was not easy to find and Elyan's vague descriptions didn't help. The patrols Arthur sent out over the next week came back empty handed every evening, which only served to increase his father's rage.<p>

"This is hopeless. We've been sending out patrols for over a week. Her brother knows nothing and half your knights are still stationed in Acirith. I want you to withdraw the knights. The security of Camelot is more important than that of Acirith." Uther snapped at him after dismissing the council. "For all you know, your wife is lying to you again, diverting our attentions from what is really happening."

"She would not lie to me," he stated calmly.

"You've fallen for her," said Uther in disgust. "Now you're completely irrational. You need to stop thinking with your heart."

"This would never have happened if you didn't decide to force me to marry someone you thought was a traitor!"

"I thought? You know as well as I do she is a traitor and one of your duties was to keep her on a close leash! Not allow her to retain control over her own lands to do as she pleased and certainly not to allow her to have a say in your military plans!"

"I told you before, I don't believe she betrayed Camelot in the last war. And I won't continue to treat her like she did. And if you recall my men from Acirith, I will go there myself." Ignoring the anger on his father's face, he left the council chambers.

As he made his way to where his knights were training, hoping to work off some of his frustration, he noticed Isabella and Guinevere deep in conversation near the central fountain. A mix of fear and anxiety gripped him. He hadn't had much contact with Isabella since his marriage and any time they were in the same space, their interactions had been polite and distant. He had hoped she had gotten over not becoming princess but he wasn't sure. And with his relationship with Guinevere still new and fragile – he was painfully aware that she never said how she felt about him – he really didn't need Isabella upsetting Guinevere.

Clearly Guinevere didn't feel the same as she frowned at his intrusion but continued talking. "Arthur, I was just discussing how to rearrange the servants' duties with Isabella."

He nodded, wondering when the two of them started discussing such issues with each other.

"Anyway, Isabella was telling me more about the servants and so I've invited her to take charge of them and make the necessary arrangements. She knows them very well, much better than me."

Isabella laughed. "I grew up here. It's nothing special about knowing them."

"But you listen to them and you observe. Ask Arthur here if he knows why Kate and Maddy cannot work together anymore. He grew up here too."

This was probably the best time for him to leave. Smiling and ignoring Guinevere's jab at him, he waved goodbye and walked towards the training grounds.

"Sire!" One of the younger knights rushed up to him. "We have news!"

The news turned out to be that an outlying village in Acirith had been attacked by Morgause and her army. Rumours were that magic was once again involved. But more importantly, some survivors had reported that Lady Morgana had been with her.

* * *

><p>AN: Thanks for the comments yet again. I love each and every one of them. :D Also, the next update may take a few days.<p> 


	15. A Waiting Game

"Merlin, pack lightly. We need to get to Acirith fast," said Arthur as they walked into his room. "Where is Guinevere?"

"Probably in her room." Merlin dragged a bag from Arthur's cupboard. "Do you believe them? They said Morgana was working with Morgause."

Arthur swung round to look at Merlin. "Morgana would never do that. She is being forced to work with them. Now stop your nonsense and pack our things. We leave early tomorrow."

The door opened and Guinevere walked in. "I heard. You're leaving too?"

"Morgana is with them. I have to go." Arthur went over to her, taking her hand in his. Worry darkened her eyes and he wished there was something he could say to make her feel better. He hated that just as they were building their relationship, he had to leave.

"What if it is another trap? What if they have another army coming to attack Camelot as well?" Her fingers squeezed his.

Touched by her concern, he tried to smile. "Don't worry. We've anticipated that and Camelot is prepared for any surprise attack. And I doubt they would try the same strategy twice. This time, they want to punish you and your brother so I think the complete destruction of Acirith is their goal."

"I want to go to Acirith too. My father is there."

"No." Arthur cupped her face. "I need you to stay in Camelot and ensure that everything is going well. I don't want to alarm our people with the both of us leaving. They've barely recovered from the last battle. I promise you, I will protect your father."

She still looked unconvinced. "Your father is here to calm the people. You don't need me here."

"I need you here, so I know you're safe." Arthur sighed. "And, your brother is here and without you, my father may see him as disposable."

She pressed her lips together, and looked away.

"My father is not a sentimental man. Camelot's reign is more important than anything to him, including me. You know that."

Guinevere continued to say nothing, moving instead to help Merlin with the packing.

"Arthur's right. You need to be here. Acirith will be fine."

"We will defeat Morgause in Acirith and rescue Morgana. And then perhaps, Cenred would be more open to peace negotiations and we can finally put this all behind us."

She stopped folding the clothes and finally looked up at him again. "I will worry."

Arthur walked over to her and took her hand, pulling her towards his bed. Leaning towards her, his lips against her ear, he whispered, "Remember how you gave me that lavender cloth for luck the last time we went to war?"

A flush rose in her cheeks and she nodded. Straightening up, he opened the drawer next to his bed and pulled out the lavender cloth.

"I still have it. It brought me luck the last time. I'm sure it'll bring me luck this time."

"You kept it." A smile tugged at her lips.

He chuckled and pulled her closer and brushed a kiss across her lips. "I love you."

And while he was painfully aware that she didn't reciprocate his feelings, she did wrap her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

"Right, I'll just be off then! It's not like anyone wants me here," Merlin announced before dramatically leaving the room.

* * *

><p>Usually, dinner was a fraught affair as she, Elyan, Arthur and Uther sat together in tense silence in the large dining hall. Despite Arthur's attempt at conversation, Uther would invariably make a snide comment about Elyan which he never learned to ignore. Then, under false smiles and polite words, Elyan would accuse Camelot of taking advantage of Acirith and Uther would suggest that Elyan was an irresponsible, foolhardy waste of space. Arthur would take her hand under the table and attempt to cool things down. However, tonight, Arthur had suggested dinner alone in their chambers.<p>

"And how many of these preserved eggs are you bringing with you?" Guinevere asked as Arthur popped yet another one into his mouth. "You've had two already."

His answering grin made her heart do a little jump. "Merlin has packed a whole jar. Are you sure you won't try one?"

"I have when I was younger and I hated it. I question your taste."

"How can my taste be bad when I have you as my wife?"

She rolled her eyes. "You remember that your father selected me, based on his desire for my lands."

Reaching across the table, Arthur took her hand. "Yes, but I had the good taste to fall for you."

Ever since that day when Arthur told her he loved her, it seemed to have unstuck something in him and he never failed to remind her every day. And so many times, Guinevere wanted to return the sentiment but after all the pain and confusion before, she wasn't sure how much she really trusted Arthur.

After dinner, they went to bed and Arthur made love to her with an intensity and seriousness that she'd never experienced before. Later, Arthur gathered her into his arms and she fell asleep listening to his steady breaths.

* * *

><p>Guinevere found herself worrying constantly about Arthur and Merlin. There wasn't much news and she tried to keep herself busy with dealing with the castle duties. She was thankful for Isabella, not only because she seemed to know everything that was going on in the castle but also because she was good company and kept Guinevere's mind off the war in Acirith.<p>

"My lady," Isabella was waiting for her outside her room one morning, her face tense.

Immediately, the thought that something bad had happened to Arthur or Acirith entered her mind and she had to suck in a deep breath to calm herself. "Isabella! Has there been news from Acirith?"

"No, nothing like that. Actually, I need to tell you something." Isabella sounded nervous, "Can we talk in your room?"

A mix of disappointment and relief flooded Guinevere. She gestured for Isabella to enter. "Of course. What is it?"

Isabella walked around the room, her nerves painfully obvious.

"It was me. I was the one who told King Uther that you were the one who betrayed Camelot."

She thought she must have misheard. Guinevere sat down at the edge of her bed. "I'm sorry. What did you say?"

Isabella stopped pacing in front of Guinevere. Frightened eyes met Guinevere's. "I told King Uther that you had betrayed Camelot."

"Because I was going to marry Arthur?" Guinevere couldn't believe what she was hearing. Over the past week, she had reached out to Isabella and recently had even thought that they were becoming friends. She clenched her hands in her lap.

"Mainly. I was angry with you and with Uther. Just a few days before you came, begging for help, the king pulled me aside and said I would make a good queen, that he was happy Arthur was with me. And then, suddenly, I was just swept aside as if I didn't matter to anyone anymore."

Guinevere could hear the tears in Isabella's voice but it did little to ease the anger and hurt in her heart. "So you made up this story?"

"No! I overheard one of Cenred's men talking about how this was such an easy siege because they were able to attack from your lands. Later, in the dungeons, another man said that they had asked you for permission to attack from your lands. I just assumed you had agreed." Isabella fell to her knees. "I'm so sorry, my lady."

"Why are you telling me this now?" Her voice was calm but her insides were churning. Everything she suffered over the past few weeks was because of Isabella.

"I want to apologise. To my shame, I only heard your name and them saying they attacked from your lands. I made the connection."

Guinevere opened her mouth but nothing came out. She wanted to scream at Isabella, she wanted to tell Isabella she understood why she did it, she wanted to cry. But she said nothing, except feel her nails dig into the soft flesh of her palms.

"I know you spoke to my father two days ago and explained to him how important I was to the kingdom. You told him I had more value than just marrying well and I don't deserve your kindness. If I hadn't opened my mouth, if I hadn't -" Isabella's voice faltered. "I understand if you want to relieve me of my duties."

"No," Guinevere said slowly. "No. You are good at what you do. I need to be alone. Please excuse me."

Standing and dropping a curtsy, Isabella quickly made herself scarce.

* * *

><p>As if things couldn't get worse, her brother dropped by her room later in the evening. It had been a week since he arrived in Camelot and he had spent a lot of time working with Camelot's knights, something that Guinevere hoped was good for him. Unlike the knights in Acirith, the Camelot knights were a much more disciplined force, overseen closely by Arthur.<p>

"What is it Elyan?" she sighed as she opened the door for him. After Isabella's confession, Guinevere had gone through her duties in a haze of hurt and confusion. Camelot and their people did nothing but cause her pain.

"I just wanted to see how you are. We haven't spoken for a while. Now Arthur is gone, perhaps you have a bit more time for me."

"What are you saying Elyan? That I'm neglecting you? I'm not the one who suddenly disappeared from Acirith one day, leaving only a note about needing to leave the shackles of princehood and breaking dad's heart. I'm also not the one who came back, expecting his sister to betray her husband to save his skin. Maybe there's a reason I don't talk to you more!"

Elyan slumped onto a seat. "I didn't mean to get into trouble with Morgause or put you in this position. I'm really sorry."

"Oh Elyan." Guinevere crossed over to him and sat down.

He looked at her, a sad smile on his face. "You know, I thought you didn't care for Arthur but I see that you do. I thought he was an awful person, forcing you into a marriage you probably never wanted."

"He's not an awful person," she said quietly.

"I realise that. He allowed me to train with the knights, gave me sanctuary here even when the king objected and I see that he makes you happy."

"I think I will be happy with him, even if this wasn't something I planned for my life. But I don't want to talk about Arthur. Let's talk about you instead. When this war is over, what are you going to do?"

"I think I will return to Acirith actually, now that I don't have to be King. Maybe work with the knights there. I've seen what Arthur does with his knights and maybe, it's something we can do with the Acirith knights." Elyan looked slightly embarrassed when he said that. "I like working with the knights here."

Guinevere couldn't help the smile that spread across her face and threw herself at her brother.

* * *

><p>The days dragged on with minimal news from Acirith. She worried constantly and threw herself into her duties at the castle. Her brother continued training with the Camelot knights and when she watched him, she realised being with the knights gave him a sense of purpose and provided him with discipline.<p>

Slowly, she rebuilt her working relationship with Isabella. It wasn't easy, but Isabella was keen to make amends and despite her previous actions, Guinevere found herself enjoying Isabella's company.

They were taking lunch in the royal gardens on gorgeous afternoon. "Are you sure young Lindy can manage the kitchen in Sybil's absence?"

"Bertha assures me Lindy will cope. Perhaps we should move Matthew back into the kitchen to support her. He's experienced." Isabella said as she poked at the meat they were served.

"Sounds good. Thank you for doing up the summary of accounts for the castle as well."

Isabella smiled. "It's no problem. What will you decide about the rations for the outlying towns?"

Before Guinevere could explain the complicated plan she'd spent the whole last night working on, one of the king's guards approached her. "Your highness. We have news from Acirith."


	16. Things Uncovered

Arthur hated battles that involved magic. Some days, he would guiltily wonder if he would have had an easier time in such battles if his father hadn't banned magic from his kingdom. Then he'd remind himself that the magic ban was a good thing. Magic was evil and his father had the fortitude and bravery to ban it. That had led to the Great Magic War, a war that his father managed to win despite not using magic.

As magic and arrows flashed past him, Arthur focused his attention on avoiding them as he searched for Morgana. Battles that involved magic confused Arthur a lot. Often, he and his men started out on the losing side and then something would happen and the tide would turn. Initially he attributed his victories to his tactics and training but lately he was having second thoughts. The battle in Bathum was progressing in exactly that manner. Just moments ago, it seemed like Morgause's army had the upper hand yet now, it was as if someone on their side was using magic. But that was impossible. Not that Arthur was particularly fussed at the moment. As his men slowly pushed back the enemy, Arthur darted towards their camp. What did fuss him was that Merlin was missing again. He was probably hiding, as he was wont to do during fights. At least Arthur hoped fervently that was true.

He ducked just as an arrow whizzed past his head. He swore. Why couldn't defeated armies gracefully accept defeat instead of attempting even more risky action? Quickly, he darted behind some trees and studied the scene in front of him. A few men from Morgause's army were scattered around the camp. It shouldn't be too hard to get to the main tent and hopefully Morgana would be there.

He should have known it was too easy.

"Arthur Pendragon," Morgause drawled, her sword drawn. "How nice of you to drop by."

He lifted his own sword. "It's nice to meet the woman who has been attacking my lands."

Her laugh sent a chill down his spine. "Morgana is not here. But rest assured, she's not been harmed."

"Why should I believe you?" Arthur tightened his grip on his sword.

"I don't really care if you do or not." Then before Arthur could react, she yelled something and he realised he couldn't move. A smirk on her face, Morgause took a step towards him. "I will take great pleasure in killing you and sending your head to your father. Perhaps he will rethink his magic ban."

No matter what he did, no matter how much he strained his muscles, he couldn't move. Nothing would come out from his mouth. He tried to stem the panic that built in him and he thought of Guinevere as he watched Morgause lift her sword. There were so many things he wanted to share with her, so many things that he'd hoped to do together with her. He thought about Camelot and the dreams he had. If only he could say goodbye to Guinevere.

Morgause's sword came down in slow motion and Arthur counted the seconds till the blade struck his flesh. He heard, more than felt, her blade slide into his side. Pain radiated from his side to the rest of him. He still couldn't move and he wondered briefly if he would be found dead standing up. Morgause was talking, but Arthur couldn't hear her. His eyes were heavy and his limbs cold.

His last thought was that the spell must have worn out because his eyes closed and he slumped onto he cold, hard ground.

* * *

><p>When Arthur thought about death, it was often a dark void of nothingness. He definitely didn't expect to see Merlin's face looming over him. Did Merlin die as well?<p>

"Finally decided to wake, did you?"

Death was clearly a nightmare. Not only did he have to deal with Merlin in life, but also in death. He groaned.

"You might want to thank me." Merlin sat down and Arthur realised that death also included furniture – furniture that looked strangely like the ones in Acirith's castle. He blinked as an idea started to form in his mind.

"I'm not dead."

Merlin's grin widened. "No, unfortunately."

"What happened?"

"Ah." Merlin shifted in his chair. "I was following you and I happened to be there just as the spell wore off."

"And you defeated Morgause?"

"No. She escaped. The army did manage to chase off her army. They've retreated beyond the borders. How's the wound?"

Gently, Arthur touched his side. It was still painful but bearable. "I assume you treated me. How is my wound?"

"Bad actually. I've stopped the bleeding but it's deep. You need to stay in bed."

"No, I need to return to Camelot."

Merlin shook his head. "You can't travel that's for sure. So you should be prepared for a long stay in Acirith."

"Merlin –"

"It's up to you. If you want to live, you'll stay in bed." Merlin shot him a warning look then left the room, leaving Arthur to his thoughts.

Without Merlin to talk too, exhaustion and pain began to take over Arthur and he closed his eyes, content to slip into the gentle embrace of sleep.

* * *

><p>Two days later and he was still bed-ridden. He was getting restless. It was boring and he still worried about the war but mostly, lying in bed gave him far too much time to think about Guinevere. He missed her greatly and he wished that she was here with him. But she was three days away in Camelot. It would be too much to hope that she cared enough to come to him. And it was unreasonable for him to demand that from her. Seeing Lancelot again reminded Arthur of Lancelot's history with Guinevere. It also made all his fears surface. Unlike him, Lancelot never once doubted Guinevere's innocence. Unlike him, Lancelot probably never hurt her feelings.<p>

He threw one arm across his eyes, wincing at the pull on his wound. Since that night, he had told her he loved her many times and while she would smile, she never reciprocated. He had thought she needed time but now, he worried that no amount of time would make her love him. Maybe her heart belonged to Lancelot. Maybe he ruined everything when he refused to trust her earlier.

But she did care for him and perhaps, that was all he could hope for. All he could expect.

Merlin said being wounded made him mopey.

* * *

><p>"It's almost a week. Surely I can move around a bit," grumbled Arthur as Merlin inspected his wound.<p>

"It's healing," said Merlin with pleasure. "But you should stay in bed a few more days to be sure. Lancelot has returned from his patrol. There's no sign of Morgause or any of Cenred's army at all. Perhaps they have given up."

Arthur sighed. "Cenred is a stubborn bastard who doesn't know when he's defeated. He's going to regroup."

"Well, at least we'll have some peace for a while."

"Morgana is still missing."

Merlin tensed. "There were sightings of her. At least we can be assured that she's alive."

Arthur grunted, then closed his eyes. If he couldn't leave his bed, he might as well sleep. At least in his dreams, he could be with Guinevere.

* * *

><p>Her fingers trailed down his cheek, then across his lips.<p>

This was one of the better dreams, thought Arthur. It almost felt real. So real that when she slipped into bed next to him, he actually felt the bed sink slightly. He was getting pretty good at this whole dreaming thing. He smiled, then felt her breath against his cheek.

"Arthur."

"Mmmm." He was slightly annoyed now because dream Guinevere was not touching him anymore. He frowned, trying to will her into running her hands against his skin.

But instead of gently caressing him, she shoved his shoulder.

"Arthur!"

He opened one eye.

"I knew you were awake."

And before he could work out what was happening, there was a heavy weight on his chest, hair in his mouth and the very familiar scent of Guinevere in his nose.

"Guinevere?" His voice was rough and he repeated her name. He didn't dare move his hands to touch her in case this was still a dream.

Then, she moved away, kneeling on the bed next to him. When he looked at her, he could see tears in her eyes.

"You fool!" But she was smiling even as a tear escaped and rolled down her cheek.

Reaching up, he swiped that tear away. She was not a dream. Warmth and joy burst in his chest. Guinevere was here. She'd come to Acirith for him.

"You said you'd take care. You aren't supposed to die!" She linked their hands, squeezing his tightly.

"I'm not dead," he said. "But if I had, you'd be free of this forced marriage."

She shook her head, still smiling. "You are such a fool, Arthur Pendragon. You are not going to get out of this marriage so easily."

"No?" He slid a hand into her curls and pulled her face to his so he could kiss her. No matter how many times he'd dreamed of kissing her, nothing could match up to the actual feel and taste of her. Her lips moved against his, her tongue teasing him as her hands cupped his face.

Eventually, they had to break apart. She leaned her forehead against his, breathing heavily, every breath puffing against his skin. He kept one hand on her hip. He'd missed her so much and at the moment, he didn't care that she still hadn't said that she loved him. She was here, in Acirith, in his bed and kissing him. It was all that mattered.

* * *

><p>Arthur decided that as long as Guinevere pressed her body against him, her arm loosely draped across his waist, he could stay in bed forever. But she wasn't at the moment, having gone to see her father, and so he was determined to get out of bed. He'd been in it for exactly ten days now and despite Merlin's continual warnings, it was far past time he regained his freedom.<p>

He had barely straightened himself when the door opened and Guinevere walked in. Upon seeing him standing, she lifted an eyebrow, disapproval clear on her face.

"You should be in bed."

"I need a bath," he grumbled. "There is only so much a wet towel can do."

A frown marred her brows and she narrowed her eyes at him. "Sit on the bed. I'll tell Merlin to prepare a bath for you."

"Are you going to bathe me?" Arthur asked with a grin as he gingerly sat back down on the bed.

"I thought you were well enough to walk around."

He placed a hand on his bandage and winced. "It's pretty sore. And my limbs ache. I couldn't bathe myself."

Guinevere looked at him, then shook her head, turning on her heel and left the room. Arthur chuckled to himself. Alone, he slowly peeled off the bandage and checked his wound. It didn't look too bad although Arthur suspected that Merlin was right – too much movement and it might open up again. With a sigh, Arthur replaced the bandage.

Within minutes, Merlin and Guinevere returned with a large tub of water. "You better be careful. Your wound is still not fully healed," said Merlin as he set the tub down. He dipped one finger into the water, shrugged then turned to Guinevere. "He's all yours."

"You're giving me a bath?"

He could tell she was trying to hide her smile. "Don't get used to it."

She knelt in front of him and immediately, Arthur felt blood rush to his groin. Looking up, she smiled at him, then her hands deftly untied his trousers. The brush of her fingers against him made him close his eyes and bite down on his lip, trying to keep his mind off loving his wife.

"Stand."

Obediently he stood, holding on to her shoulder for support. After completely undressing him, he let her manoeuvre him into the tub. The water was hot, soothing aches he didn't realise he had and his eyes slid shut as he sat in the tub. But if Arthur thought that the hot water was lovely, Guinevere's light touch on his bare skin was even more amazing. With a sponge, she poured water over his head and shoulders. The sponge slid smoothly over his skin, followed by her soft hands and Arthur moaned under her touch.

But bliss was when she ran her fingers in his hair, massaging his scalp. Pleasure started from where her fingers touched his head and spread all the way to his toes, like little fireworks going off in him. Warmth, that had nothing to do with the water that he was soaking in, filled Arthur. Life was almost perfect.

"Enjoying yourself?" Her lips were next to his ear, the whisper of her breath against his cheek.

"If this is what happens when I get hurt, I think I might get hurt more often."

Water splashed onto his face. "Don't you dare! When the knights brought news that you were seriously hurt, I was so frightened."

Arthur twisted around, ignoring the pain that shot through him, to look at Guinevere. "I'm sorry. But I'm going to be fine."

She gave him a watery smile. "I love you and I expect to be married to you for many more years."

And there it was. Arthur wasn't sure what he'd expected. He wasn't even sure he expected her to say it. And after waiting for so long, he thought that it would be something a little more dramatic, not Guinevere simply saying those three words as she washed his hair.

"Say that again." He'd turned back and couldn't see her face. Perhaps he'd imagined her words. But no matter what he told himself, he couldn't stem the hope bubbling in him – hope and little rays of joy.

"I expect to –"

"Guinevere."

He suspected that she was smiling behind him. "I love you, Arthur."

He let out a breath and let himself smile. Joy that he'd never thought possible filled him and at that moment, Arthur thought that he could weather anything as long as Guinevere loved him. "Thank goodness," he breathed. "I love you too."

"I know that. Your father was very disapproving about it."

* * *

><p>Later, after she'd dried him and helped him dress, they lay in bed, her head on his chest and his hand in her hair. When he asked earlier, Guinevere had told him that his father had summoned her to talk about the changes she was making to how the castle was run and had mentioned how adamant Arthur was that she was innocent of betraying Camelot.<p>

"I thought you'd never believe me."

"It was hard not to, once I got to know you better," he said turning his head and burying his nose in her hair. "Merlin and Lancelot were right. You'd never do anything like that."

"Isabella made it up." Guinevere had moved from him and was staring up at the ceiling. "Not everything but she made assumption which she pretended was fact."

"How do you know?"

He saw her shrug. "She told me."

It started as annoyance but very quickly burst into anger. He clenched his fists and tried to keep his voice calm, even as his heart sped up. "Because she wasn't going to be queen?"

"It doesn't matter, Arthur."

He shifted, trying to sit up. "Of course it matters! She caused you so much pain and unhappiness. She turned the kingdom against you! When we get back to Camelot, we will tell my father and he'll –"

Her hand touched his shoulder, drifting to his jaw and cupping his cheek. "Arthur. It doesn't matter now. And even if you don't love, surely you care about her."

"Not when she hurt you."

"She was hurting too. And if you get her punished, what purpose will it serve?" She moved closer to him and kissed him. "Things worked out in the end."

Arthur wrapped his arm around her, tugging her even closer to him. "You're too kind."

"I guess not." He lifted his head and kissed her. "But if she ever hurts you again –"

"I will deal with it." Guinevere smiled down at him. "Now, tell me you love me again."

"Only if you kiss me."


	17. Epilogue

"Checkmate," Guinevere grinned as she moved her queen across the board.

"You always win," grumbled Merlin.

She laughed. "You better go. Arthur should be finishing his training soon. If he -"

"If I what Guinevere?"

Guinevere stood with a smile and walked over to her husband. "Arthur! How was training?"

"Tiring. Apparently, being a knight is more work than being a manservant." Arthur looked at Merlin who was lounging on one of the plush chairs in their room.

With a sigh, Merlin got up from the table and walked towards the door, stopping briefly to whisper loudly to Guinevere. "Your husband is a bully."

"I am not! Now if I were a bully, I would insist that not only do you polish my armour, you should mend my shirts, repair the broken spears, muck out the stable -"

"Arthur!"

"Fine, just go Merlin."

The moment Merlin closed the door behind them, Arthur scooped Guinevere up and dumped her on their bed.

"Now, I'm going to have to punish you for taking Merlin's side over mine!" She laughed before wriggling under him, attempting to escape. Arthur simply kissed her hard and she stopped, slipping her arms around him instead.

A knock sounded.

"Go away Merlin! You spend far too much time with my wife."

"Sire?"

Jumping off the bed, Arthur smiled regretfully at Guinevere before opening the door.

"What is it?"

"Sire, Lady Morgana has been found."

* * *

><p>AN: Ah, I'm sorry for the cliffhanger and I know people might ask, so no, there isn't a sequel in the works at the moment. Sorry! But thank you for reading and for all the lovely, lovely comments.<p> 


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